DOWN THE NILE; THE GIANT ELAND 451 
yards, gradually recovered, moved off step by step, and 
broke into a slow trot. After it went Kermit as hard as 
he could go, still fussing with the rifle, which he finally 
opened, and refilled with five cartridges. Kermit could 
just about keep the eland in sight, running as hard as he 
was able; after a mile or two it lay down, but rose as he 
came near, and went off again, while he was so blown 
that though, with four shots, he hit it twice he failed to kill 
it. He now had but one bullet left, after which he knew 
that the rifle would jam again; and it was accordingly 
necessary to kill outright with the next shot. He was 
just able to keep close to the bull for a half mile, then it 
halted; and he killed it. Leaving the shenzi by the car¬ 
cass, he went off to see about the wounded cow, but after 
an hour was forced to give up the chase and return, so as 
to be sure to save the bull’s skin. The gun-bearers, and 
another shenzi had by this time reached the dead eland; 
they had only Kermit’s canteen of water among them. 
One of the shenzis was at once sent to camp to bring back 
twenty porters, with rope, and plenty of water; and, with 
parched mouths, Kermit and the gun-bearers began to 
take off the thick hide of the dead bull. Four hours later 
the porters appeared with the ropes and the water; the 
thirsty men drank gallons; the porters were loaded with 
the hide, head, and meat; and they marched back to camp 
by moonlight. 
It was no easy job, in that climate, to care for and save 
the three big skins; but we did it. On the trip we had 
taken, besides our gun-bearers and tent boys. Magi, the 
sais, and two of our East African skinners, Kiboko and 
Merefu; they formed in the safari a kind of chief-petty- 
