A CHRISTMAS HUNT. 



ELMER E. DAVIS. 



Photos by the Author. 



British East Africa is a natural zoologi- 

 cal park, and if the British colonial govern- 

 ment continues to enforce the laws as it has 

 the last few years, that part of Africa will 

 be a sportsmen's mecca for years to come. 



Game is plentiful, but no individual ani- 

 mal is easier to get there than an animal 

 of similar habits would be in America. A 

 specimen of a species is easier to obtain 

 in Africa than in America, but that is be- 

 cause of the greater number of each spe- 

 cies and not their lack of caution. 



In December, 1902, my camp was pitched 



been burnt over. As it had rained several 

 times since the fire I expected to find some 

 game feeding on the new shoots of grass, 

 and hoped it might be water buck, which 

 are fond of feeding in such places. 



After an hour's walk, during which we 

 had several times been mixed up with the 

 aggravating little thorns known to the na- 

 tives as engoga (meaning wait a bit), we 

 were within a mile or so of the place where 

 game was expected, and were proceeding 

 cautiously, when a low hiss from one of 

 the porters caused me to stop. Looking in 



CAMP AT NJORO PLAINS. 



on the edge of Njoro plain with miles of 

 good antelope pasture before it. In the 

 rear was jungle, which seemed to be made 

 for game, as it was crossed and recrossed 

 by narrow paths and clearings which had 

 been formed by the fires from the plains 

 burning into the jungle under the force of 

 strong winds. This forest and plain of 

 Njoro are about 350 miles from the coast 

 and 50 miles from Lake Victoria. It is not 

 hot there, as might be supposed, but is 

 cooled by the elevation of '6,000 feet above 

 sea level. 



Christmas I shouldered my 30 x 40 rifle 

 and started through the jungle on a still 

 hunt for water buck. Two porters only 

 were allowed to go-. The direction Ave 

 intended to take would lead us through a 

 small patch of ground which had recently 



the direction he indicated I could see a pair 

 of ears above a low bush. The animal was 

 lying down and by the way its ears were 

 working slowly backward and forward I 

 knew it had not scented us ; so quietlv re- 

 tracing our way and going farther around 

 we obtained a good view. There were 3 

 pallah does lying down, and as they are 

 never far from the buck we looked care- 

 fully around, but could see nothing of him. 



The porter, whose name was Monga, said 

 he would make them show us where the 

 buck was, and taking several dry twigs he 

 started to break them, causing a slight 

 noise. 



The does, hearing this, arose and started 

 cautiously in a direction straight away 

 from us. 



Monga said the buck would be found in 



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