CHAP. XVI.] 
MARCH TO SHOO A. 
443 
ning from the Albert Lake to the north, on the west 
bank of the Nile; these would hardly have been 
observed by a person who was ignorant of their exist¬ 
ence, as the grass was so high that I had to ascend a 
white ant-hill to look for them; they were about sixty 
miles distant, and my men, who knew them well, 
pointed them out to their companions. 
The entire party, including women and children, 
amounted to about 1,000 people. Although they had 
abundance of flour, there was no meat, and the grass 
being high there was no chance of game. On the 
fourth day only I saw a herd of about twenty tetel 
(hartebeest) in an open space that had been recently 
burnt. We were both riding upon oxen that I had 
purchased of Ibrahim, and we were about a mile ahead 
of the flag in the hope of getting a shot; dismounting 
from my animal I stalked the game down a ravine, but 
upon reaching the point that I had resolved upon for 
the shot, I found the herd had moved their position to 
about 250 paces from me. They were all looking at 
me, as they had been disturbed by the oxen and the 
boy Saat in the distance. Dinner depended on the 
shot. There was a leafless bush singed by the recent 
fire; upon a branch of this I took a rest, but just as I 
was going to fire they moved off—a clean miss !— 
whizz went the bullet over them, but so close to the 
ears of one that it shook its head as though stung by 
a wasp, and capered round and round; the others stood 
perfectly still, gazing at the oxen in the distance. Crack 
went the left-hand barrel of the little Fletcher 24, and 
down went a tetel like a lump of lead, before the satis¬ 
factory sound of the bullet returned from the distance. 
Off went the herd, leaving a fine beast kicking on the 
ground. It was shot through the spine, and some of 
the native porters having witnessed the sport from a 
great distance, threw down their loads and came racing 
towards the meat like a pack of wolves scenting blood. 
In a few minutes the prize was divided, while a good 
portion was carried by Saat for our own use : the tetel, 
