ATTITUDE OF SABLE 
141 
knew not what had happened, but immediately realised that I had 
crept into the centre of a resting-place of baboons, who, startled 
by my appearance in their midst, shouted their fierce cry in fear 
and terror as they fled, shaking the branches and trees in their 
course, as if a veritable tornado had suddenly seized the trees 
surrounding us. The hippo, of course, scuttled into the reeds, 
and I had the satisfaction of hearing the plump, lump, plump of 
his feet in the mud as he slowed off when feeling secure after 
gaining this retreat. What remarks I made on the spot con¬ 
cerning shooting sea-cow in the wilds at night, after this second 
fright, I think no one has a right to know, hut I may inform 
the inquisitive reader that the resolve formed then and there to 
leave this pastime severely alone in the future has been faith¬ 
fully adhered to ever since. 
Crossing a long open flat next day with the usual creek 
running inwards, we waded through the fast receding water 
that left dank and decaying vegetation in its wake, and entered 
the sand belts, now no longer as prominent as heretofore. Here 
we came upon a troop of sable antelope that stood with their 
arched necks held high in the air, in the manner peculiar to 
these animals. There is little doubt that the sable is compelled 
to take up this attitude in consequence of the sharp, graceful 
curve backwards of the powerful horns, which brings the tips on 
to the back on the least attempt of the animal to stretch its 
neck forward, and the sharp points, when the buck is in rapid 
motion, would severely lacerate the skin, unless held up in the 
manner described. This enforced attitude imparts to the sable 
antelope a wide-aAvake appearance, fully borne out by its 
behaviour and courage in self-defence when attacked by lions. 
More than once have natives related to us that they have 
found the remains of a lion and a sable lying side by side, with 
the lion transfixed by the sharp horns of his prey. 
As we contemplated making a halt hereabouts, I fired at a fine 
ram standing with his back towards me, raking him from end to 
end, so that he simply lay down as if preparing to sleep, first 
letting his knees down and then rolling over. A mile further on 
