CHAPTER XII 
TO THE UASIN GISHU 
At Nairobi Kermit joined me, having enjoyed a nota¬ 
bly successful hunt during the month since we had parted, 
killing both Neuman’s hartebeest and koodoo. The great 
koodoo, with its spiral horns and striped coat, is the stateli¬ 
est and handsomest antelope in the world. It is a shy 
creature, fond of bush and of rocky hills, and is hard to get. 
After leaving me at Meru Kermit and Tarlton had 
travelled hard to Rumeruti. They had intended to go 
to Lake Hannington, but finding that this was in the 
reserve they went three days toward the north-west, stop¬ 
ping a score of miles east of Barengo. The country, which 
showed many traces of volcanic action, was rough, rocky, 
and dry; the hunting was exhausting, and Kermit was 
out from morning to night. Tarlton had been very sick 
on the Guaso Nyero, and although he was better he was 
in no shape to accompany Kermit, who therefore hunted 
only with his gun boys, taking them out alternately so as 
to spare them as much as possible. It took three days’ 
steady work before he got his first koodoo. On the third 
day he hunted fruitlessly all the morning, came back to 
camp, picked up a fresh gun-bearer, Juma Yohari, and 
started out again. At four in the afternoon he came to 
the brink of a great hollow a mile across, perhaps an ex¬ 
tinct crater, and looking from the rimrock, spied a koodoo 
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