XIV 
ON SAFARI 
173 
Towards midday we returned to tlie camp for shelter 
from the heat and to obtain rest and lunch, where we 
remained until four o’clock, and after refreshing our¬ 
selves with tea, sallied forth again. We succeeded 
in shooting the rock rabbit (hyrax or coney) which 
lived in great numbers among the rocks near 
the camp, wart-hogs, guinea fowls, and a lesser 
bustard. The birds were welcome additions to our 
larder. The wart-hogs afforded us some fun. The 
tracker caught sight of two hogs in the ,long grass ; 
they were standing side by side in such a way that 
the snout of one hog was towards the tail of the other. 
One of the party fired a rifle at them with the 
intention' of securing the two animals with one bullet. 
The Somali proverb, to aim is not to hit,” applied 
here, for the bullet grazed the snout of one hog and the 
buttocks of the other, and so irritated both, that when 
the boys w^ent to hunt them out of the long grass they 
were chased by the hogs. The Somalis kept close to the 
guns, and as the angry animals persisted in following 
the boys, it became necessary to shoot both hogs. 
It is dangerous to hunt big animals in long grass, 
especially when they are wounded: records of lion, 
buffalo, and rhinoceros shooting are eloquent in this 
direction. In order to show how completely big 
animals may be concealed in long grass, I may mention 
that on one occasion a topi [Damaliscus jimele) was 
shot on a slope covered with tall grass : we left a boy 
to skin it whilst we returned to the camp for carriers to 
bring in the meat and hide. On returning to the 
spot where the antelope was being flayed, I could not 
see the boys or the topi, fifteen yards away, although I 
was on the back of a mule. 
On one occasion whilst moving through long grass 
after a herd of impalla, one of the most beautiful 
and graceful of al] the antelope family, we heard 
the crack of rifles in a neis'hbourino’ forest where 
.0 O 
we knew our friends had gone for buffaloes; we 
