84 



THROUGH JUNGLE AND DESERT 



CHAP. 



I marched, as Avas my custom, at the head of the 

 caravan, and behind me came six of the Soudanese. I 

 had noticed, in the few experiences we had had with 

 game up to this time, that these people made the 

 worst possible shikaris. At the sight of meat in any 

 form, their eagerness to possess it deprived them of 

 all self-control ; and they would burst into such loud 

 shouts of pleasure that the animal became alarmed, 

 and made off with all haste. Continued disappoint- 

 ments, instead of teaching them a little wisdom .and 

 the advantages of silence, only added to their enthusi- 

 asm upon the sight of game. On one occasion, when 

 we were very much in need of meat, the sight of a 

 water-buck within easy shooting range wrung from 

 them such a chorus of enthusiastic yells that I not 

 only missed the opportunity of getting meat, but finally 

 lost my temper, and taught them, one and all, that 

 at least one personal advantage would accrue from 

 their silence. Shortly after that little incident I saw 

 another water-buck, and the lesson they had just 

 received gave me an opportunity of shooting it. It 

 was standing lOO yards distant, broadside on, and I 

 shot it behind the shoulder. It started off at full 

 speed, and in a moment Karscho, my gun-bearer, was 

 after it like a sleuth-hound. When I came up to him, 

 I found he had already gralloched a fine male. On 

 searching for my bullet, I found it had penetrated 

 the heart ; but, notwithstanding this, the animal had 

 been able to run a distance of loo yards. This will 

 convey an idea of the vitality of these antelopes. 



We had now reached a part of the country where 

 the hills were steep, and difficult for the donkey to 



