TWO DIANAS IN SOMALILAND 41 
For twenty minutes or more I crawled along, hoping 
on, hoping ever, that some chance bit of luck would 
bring me in fairly clear range, or that the antelope 
would pause again. Clearly they had not winded me ; 
clearly I was not doing so very badly to be still in 
their vicinity at all. Now came a bare patch of country 
to be got over, and I signed to Clarence to remain 
behind. I was flat on my face, wriggling along the 
sand. If the antelope were only in the open, and I in 
the spot where they were screened ! The smallest 
movement now, and ... I got to within 120 yards of 
them when something snapped. The herd gathered 
together and silently trotted off, making a way through 
the density with surprising ease considering its thick 
nature. I got up and ran some way to try and cut 
them off, dropping again instantly as I saw a gap ahead 
through which it seemed likely their rush would carry 
them. It was an uncertain and somewhat long shot, 
but the chances were I should never see the animals 
again if I did not take even the small opportunity that 
seemed about to present itself. I had long ago for- 
gotten the very existence of my shikari. The world 
might have been empty save for myself and four 
gerenuk. Nervousness had left me, doubts of all kinds ; 
nothing remained save the wonder and the interest and 
the scheming. 
It really was more good luck than good manage- 
ment. I afterwards discovered that the gerenuk, or 
Waller’s gazelle, is the most difficult antelope to shoot 
in all Somaliland, mostly from their habit of frequent- 
ing the thickest country. 
