30 
SOMALILAND^ 
advanced to have a better look at me. Aiming for hm 
shoulder as he stood nearly broadside on, I fired ; but the 
bullet went thud much too far back, and he galloped off 
like the wind. 1 shouted to my syce to mount the pony 
and give chase ; but although he followed it for upwards of 
two miles, he never got within revolver-shot of it. . Some 
hunters say that this antelope can be ridden down by an 
average horse. This I cannot believe after seeing this 
wounded animal outstride and easily leave behind my pony, 
which was by no means a slow mover. 
After this I got within range of another hartebeest, and 
knocked him down, where he lay struggling ; but just as 
my shikari was racing up to give him the liallal^ the antelope 
regained his feet, and galloped off* as if he had not been 
touched, leaving me with an unloaded rifle 300 yards behind. 
As the pony had not yet returned from following the oryx, 
we eventually lost him altogether. He joined another large 
herd of over 200, which took him clean away. 
I shall ever remember that day upon the Saylah bun 
(Saylah plain), when perhaps I saw more big game in a few 
hours than I have ever seen in the whole of my other shoot- 
ing days put together. Coming home, we saw herd upon 
herd of oryx, in several of which there could not have been 
less than 100 antelopes. I shot another hartebeest, and 
the camel having been laden to overflowing, we wended our 
way back to camp, my shikaris, gunbearers, and syce sing- 
ing all the way. 
On nearing camp I was received with shouts of approval 
by my men when they saw the quantity of venison I had 
brought them, and dancing, eating, and singing was kept 
up till the early hours of the following morning. (My camp 
was pitched at a place called Larndare.) - - r 
We made an extra dong march next day. through thick 
bush again, and very dismal work it was. One could not 
see more than 80 yards in front, and there was very little 
game to be seen except gerenook, which, by-the-by, never 
follow in thick bush, after they have once seen you^^unless 
