CHAPTER VIII 
HUNTING IN THE SOTIK 
Our next camp was in the middle of the vast plains, 
by some limestone springs, at one end of a line of dark 
acacias. There were rocky koppies two or three miles 
off on either hand. From the tents and white-topped 
waggons we could see the game grazing on the open 
flats or among the scattered wizened thorns. The skies 
were overcast and the nights cool. In the evenings the 
camp-fires blazed in front of the tents, and after supper 
we gathered round them, talking or sitting silently, or 
listening to Kermit strumming on his mandolin. 
The day after reaching this camp we rode out, hoping 
to get either rhino or giraffe. We needed additional 
specimens of both for the naturalists, who especially 
wanted cow giraffes. It was cloudy and cool, and the 
common game was shy. Though we needed meat, I 
could not get within fair range of the wildebeest, harte- 
beest, topi, or big gazelle. However, I killed a couple 
of tommies, one by a good shot, the other running, after 
1 had missed him in rather scandalous fashion while he 
was standing. 
An hour or two after leaving the tents we made out 
on the sky-line, a couple of miles to our left, some 
objects which scrutiny showed to be giraffe. After 
coming within a mile the others halted, and I rode 
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