XVI 
EN ROUTE FOR EL BO GO I 
375 
try and shoot something on the morrow. This produced quite 
a cheer and chorus of thanks, and the camp, which had been 
unusually hushed, was now cheery again with their talking. 
This was a relief to me, as I always like to see the men happy. 
At the same time it was as well to let them be reminded that 
I was incurring a good deal of fatigue, which in the weak state 
of my health was no small strain upon my strength, for their 
benefit, in my desire to add a liberal supply of meat to the 
customary ration of grain to which they were entitled, and 
which is all they would get in most caravans. 
After this I felt it to be a point of honour to kill something 
the next day, which happened to be the one on which we 
reached the lake again, and once more camped on its now 
familiar shores. The country seemed to have little game in 
it, but after making a round I espied with my glasses an oryx 
grazing near the shore, and on getting nearer saw that there were 
two Grevy’s zebra with him. The place was bare, but there 
was an odd shrub or two on the way to them. Leaving Juma, 
I made a very careful stalk, taking every precaution, as I was 
specially anxious to be successful. I crawled most of the way, 
waiting patiently prone whenever they were turned in my 
direction, and at length, by care and luck, reached the last 
bush, which was within easy range of the three, all pretty close 
together. But as I edged round to get a shot, the wary oryx 
twigged me and set off, the zebras following. Exhausted by 
my crawl and out of breath, I missed a running shot at the 
foremost of the latter ; but a chance for a rather long shot 
which the other gave me, by standing for a moment farther 
on, I made better use of, the bullet going right through both 
shoulders, with the result that he staggered and fell. It was 
just sundown, but luckily camp was not far off; so the plentiful 
supply of meat was soon brought in and distributed, in fulfil¬ 
ment of my promise, to the delight of both the men and 
myself. 
My side was pretty sore next day as the result of my crawl, 
