CHAPTER XII 
TO THE UASIN GISHU 
At Nairobi Kermit joined me, having enjoyed a notably 
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 stateliest 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, 
stopping 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 alter¬ 
nately 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, 
315 
