African Game Trails 
521 
was curious to see them sweeping the collected hundreds of birds and small mam- 
ground with their long, ugly heads, en- mals, among them several new species, 
deavoring to catch the scent. A mile’s We had already heard that a Mr. Williams, 
rapid walk brought us within two hundred whom we had met at McMillan’s ranch, 
yards, and we dared not 
risk the effort for a closer 
approach lest they should 
break and run. The cow 
turned broadside to, and 
I hit her behind the 
shoulder; but I was not 
familiar with the heavy 
Holland rifle at that 
range, and my bullet went 
rather too low. I think 
the wound would eventu¬ 
ally have proved fatal; 
but both beasts went off 
at a gallop, the cow now 
and then turning from 
side to side in high dud¬ 
geon, trying to catch the 
wind of her foe. We 
mounted our horses, and 
after a couple of miles’ 
canter overhauled our 
quarry. Cuninghame 
took me well to leeward, 
and ahead, of the rhinos, 
which never saw us; and 
then we walked to within Masai man and wife, 
a hundred yards, and I From a photograph by J. Alden Loring. 
killed the cow. But we 
were now much puzzled by the young one, had been rather badly mauled by a lion, 
which refused to leave; we did not wish to which he had mortally wounded, but which 
kill it, for it was big enough to shift for it- managed to charge home. Now we found 
self; but it was also big enough to kill that Dr. Mearns had been quite busily en- 
either of us. We drew back, hoping it gaged in attending to cases of men who 
would go away; but it did not. So when were hurt by lions. Loring nearly got in 
the gun bearers arrived we advanced and the category. He killed his lioness with a 
tried to frighten it; but this plan also failed, light automatic rifle, utterly unfit for use 
It threatened to charge, but could not quite against African game. Though he actually 
make up its mind. Watching my chance I put a bullet right through the beast’s heart, 
then creased its stern with a bullet from the the shock from the blow was so slight that 
little Springfield, and after some wild cir- she was not stopped even for a second; he 
cular galloping it finally decided to leave, hit her four times in all, each shot being 
Kermit, about this time, killed a heavy mortal—for he was an excellent marksman, 
boar from horseback after a three-miles run. —and she died nearly at his feet, her charge 
The boar charged twice, causing the horse carrying her several yards by him. Mearns 
to buck and shy. Finally, just as he was had galloped into a herd of wildebeest and 
going into his burrow backward, Kermit killed the big bull of the herd, after first 
raced by and shot him, firing his rifle from running clean through a mob of zebras, 
the saddle after the manner of the old-time which, as he passed, skinned their long yel- 
Western buffalo runners. low teeth threateningly at him, but made no 
We now rejoined Mearns and Loring on attempt actually to attack him. 
the banks of the Guaso Nyero. They had A settler had come down to trade with 
