DOWN A PRECIPICE AFTER KOODOO 
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where, as darkness was coming on, we were forced to leave 
them. 
Coming home I shot a large marabou stork which was 
scavenging round the camp in the dark. This bird has a 
very large and strong beak, and a naked head and neck, 
with the exception of some fluffy, fur-like feathers at the 
back of the head. Where the neck joins the body there 
is a huge crop, bag, or pouch of skin hanging down in 
front. The look of this bird is most gruesome, his face 
appearing to frown at one as he turns his back and slowly 
stalks along with his thin legs, and screws his huge head 
and beak round to gaze at you. The skin of the sides of 
his face is red and yellow, spotted with black, and the naked 
skin of the neck is bluish-gray, except where it joins the 
body at the back, where it is a brilliant vermilion. 
Next day I went west again to look for elephants, and 
as we walked along the top of a range of hills we spied 
some koodoo far below us. There w^ere two females and a 
magniflcent male. They were feeding quietly, so I made a 
huge detour and came up above them. We found that they 
had moved, and for a long time could not see them. At 
length I spied a cow watching me intently, and soon after 
a large bull walked up to her and stood broadside on. My 
rifle shook w'ith excitement ! A chance like that occurred 
perhaps once in a lifetime. A huge drop of perspiration 
fell from my forehead into my eye as I pressed the trigger 
on one of Africa’s grandest animals. I heard the bullet 
‘ phut ’ on him, and a moment later saw that I had fired 
too far back. I fired again as he bounded away and dis- 
appeared headlong over the precipice. I ran as hard as I 
could over the loose rocky ground, and reached the edge of 
a yawning gulf. Not a sign of the koodoo was to be seen. 
There was not a sound to be heard in the stillness of the 
morning. We soon found, however, a spot of blood, and 
then began one of the stiffest and most dangerous descents 
I had ever experienced. Down, down, down the mountain- 
side we went, following the blood spoor, now losing the 
