INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xv 



chase he nevertheless took special delight. "A moonlight 

 ambush by a pool well frequented by wild animals/^ he writes*, 

 "is worth all the other modes of enjoying a gun put together. 

 In the first place there is something mysterious and thrilling in 

 finding one's self the secret and unsuspected spectator of the wild 

 movements, habits, and propensities of the denizens of nature's 

 varied and wonderful menagerie — no high feeding, no barred 

 gates, no harsh and cruel keeper's voice having yet enervated, 

 damped, or destroyed the elasticity, buoyancy, and frolicsomness 

 of animal life. And then the intense excitement between each 

 expected arrival ! The distant footstep, now heard distinctly 

 rattling over a rugged surface, now gently vibrating on the 

 strained ear as it treads on softer ground ; it may be that of a 

 small antelope or an elephant, of a wild boar or rhinoceros, of 

 a gnu or a girafie, of a jackal or a lion. And then what oppor- 

 tunities present themselves of observing the habits and pecu- 

 liarities of each species, and even of individuals, to say nothing 

 of the terrible battles that take place and can so rarely be 

 witnessed in the daytime. I have certainly learnt more of the 

 untamed life of savage beasts in a single night's tableau vivant 

 than during months of toilsome wanderings in the broad light 

 of the sun." 



By slow stages, during which Andersson had ample opjiortu- 

 nity of using his rifle, they followed the course of the Matako 

 River, and toward the end of August were rejoined by the 

 people from Objimbinque with the repaired waggon. Andersson, 

 however, derived little benefit from the vehicle ; as it was soon 

 found impossible to drag it through so rough a country as 

 that they were then traversing. For a second time therefore he 

 was obliged to leave it behind, and to proceed as before with 

 saddle- and pack-oxen. 



On September 16th Andersson reached Omanbonde, the 

 so-called lake with which he made acquaintance on his first 

 * The Okavango River, p. 85. 



