152 ZEBRAS WILD PIGS. CHAP. VI. 



The small Enfield bullet is worse than the old round one 

 for this. It often goes through an animal without killing 

 him, and he afterwards perishes, when he is of no value to 

 man. After breakfast we draw near a pond of water ; a 

 couple of elephants stand on its bank, and, at a respectful 

 distance behind these monarchs of the wilderness, is seen 

 a herd of zebras, and another of waterbucks. On getting 

 our wind the royal beasts make off at once ; but the zebras 

 remain till the foremost man is within eighty yards of 

 them, when old and young canter gracefully away. The 

 zebra has a great deal of curiosity ; and this is often fatal 

 to him, for he has the habit of stopping to look at the 

 hunter. In this particular he is the exact opposite of the 

 diver antelope, which rushes off like the wind, and never 

 for a moment stops to look behind, after having once seen 

 or smelt danger. The finest zebra of the herd is some- 

 times shot, our men having taken a sudden fancy to the 

 flesh, which all declare to be the " king of good meat." 

 On the plains of short grass between us and the river 

 many antelopes of different species are calmly grazing, or 

 reposing. Wild pigs are common, and walk abroad during 

 the day ; but are so shy as seldom to allow a close ap- 

 proach. On taking alarm they erect their slender tails in 

 the air, and trot off swiftly in a straight line, keeping 

 their bodies as steady as a locomotive on a railroad. A 

 mile beyond the pool three cow buffaloes with their calves 

 come from the woods, and move out into the plain. A 

 troop of monkeys, on the edge of the forest, scamper back 

 to its depths on hearing the loud song of Singeleka, and 

 old surly fellows, catching sight of the human party, 

 insult it with a loud and angry bark. Early in the after- 

 noon we may see buffaloes again, or other animals. We 

 camp on the dry higher ground, after, as has hapj)ened, 

 driving off a solitary elephant. The nights are warmer 

 now, and possess nearly as much of interest and novelty as 



