278 STALKING MEIIEDEHET ANTELOPE. [chap. x. 
river. Stalking them to within a hundred and twenty 
paces they obtained my wind, and, ceasing to graze, 
they gazed intently at me. I was on the high bank 
among the bushes, and I immediately picked out the 
biggest, and fired, missing my mark. All dashed away 
except the animal at which I fired, who stood in 
uncertainty for a few moments, when the second barrel 
of the Fletcher 24 rifle knocked him over, striking him 
through the neck. Hearing the quick double shot, my 
people came running to the spot accompanied by a 
number of the native porters, and were rejoiced to find 
a good supply of meat: the antelope weighed about 
five hundred pounds, and was sufficient to afford a 
good dinner for the whole party. 
The Mehedehet is about 13 hands high, with rough 
brown hair like the Samber deer of India. 
Our resting-place was on the dry, rocky bed of the 
river, close to the edge of the shallow but clear stream 
that rippled over the uneven surface. Some beautiful 
tamarind trees afforded a most agreeable shade, and 
altogether it was a charming place to bivouac. 
Although at Obbo the grass was not sufficiently dry to 
burn, in this country it was reduced to a crisp straw, 
and I immediately set fire to the prairies; the wind 
was strong, and we had a grand blaze, the flames 
crackling and leaping about thirty feet high, and 
sweeping along with so mad a fury that within an 
hour the entire country was a continuous line of 
fire. Not a trace of vegetation remained behind ; the 
country appeared as though covered with a pall of 
black velvet. Returning from my work, I found my 
camping-place well arranged—beds prepared, and a 
good dinner ready of antelope-soup and cutlets. 
On waking the next morning, I found that the 
Turks had all disappeared during the night, and that 
I was alone with my people. It was shortly explained 
that they had departed to attack some village, to 
which they were guided by some natives who had 
accompanied them from Farajoke. 
