56 ON AN EAST AFRICAN RANCH [ch. ii 
and actually took ten shots to kill him, hitting him no 
less than seven times. 
Occasionally we drove a ravine or a range of hills by 
means of beaters. On such occasions all kinds of things 
were put up. Most of the beaters, especially if they 
were wild savages impressed for the purpose from some 
neighbouring tribe, carried throwing-sticks, with which 
they were very expert, as, indeed, were some of the 
colonials, like the Hills. Hares, looking and behaving 
much like small jack-rabbits, were plentiful both on the 
plains and in the ravines, and dozens of these were 
knocked over ; while on several occasions I saw franco- 
lins and spurfowl cut down on the wing by a throwing- 
stick hurled from some unusually dexterous hand. 
The beats, with the noise and laughter of the good- 
humoured, excitable savages, and the alert interest as 
to what would turn up next, were great fun; but the 
days I enjoyed most were those spent alone with my 
horse and gun-bearers. We might be off by dawn, and 
see the tropic sun flame splendid over the brink of the 
world; strange creatures rustled through the bush or 
fled dimly through the long grass, before the light grew 
bright; and the air was fresh and sweet as it blew in 
our faces. When the still heat of noon drew near I 
would stop under a tree, with my water canteen and 
my lunch. The men lay in the shade, and the hobbled 
pony grazed close by, while I either dozed or else 
watched through my telescope the herds of game lying 
down or standing drowsily in the distance. As the 
shadows lengthened I would again mount, and finally 
ride homeward as the red sunset paled to amber and 
opal, and all the vast, mysterious African landscape 
grew to wonderful beauty in the dying twilight. 
