274 
EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
After a twenty minutes’ walk through rather high grass I 
came across a good kuru (water-buck), which I shot, and then 
pushing on another quarter of an hour, emerged on the dry 
rising ground, which is distinguished by the natives from the 
moist alluvial soil along the river by the name “ Barani.” Here 
we at once saw more Walleri, which I endeavoured to stalk, but 
I think they saw my men behind. Anyhow, something frightened 
them and they bolted. Going on farther, I wounded two tope, 
one of which was at one time actually on its back, but they 
both made oft' and were lost in the bush. On my way home on 
the grass near the river I saw many more herds of top4 and 
shot another good kuru. Hunter came in with the news that 
he had seen some lesser kudu, specimens of which we were 
anxious to obtain. Greenfield, however, found the grass and 
palms so dense on the other side that he was obliged to return. 
Next morning I started off to look again for the Walleri, 
of which I succeeded in finding fresh tracks in the light sandy 
soil. Following these a little way, on coming round the corner 
of a bush I saw a buck looking straight at me. Sitting 
down, I took aim at his narrow chest and fired. I immedi¬ 
ately heard the “thud,” the pleasantest of all sounds to the 
stalker, but to my astonishment saw the Walleri galloping off. 
He, however, only went a hundred yards and fell over dead. 
On going up to him he proved to be a fine buck. This was a new 
species to me, and so particularly interesting. These animals 
are quite unlike any other antelope that I have ever seen, their 
extremely long necks and curiously formed noses very much 
resembling those of the giraffe. Later on in the day I shot a 
female, with which I returned to camp and immediately set my 
men to work to skin it, as I had noticed this species was not 
represented in the Natural History Museum. 
Hunter got on the fresh track of some elephants, and 
while tracking them came across a lesser kudu. Not wishing 
to run the chance of frightening the former, he let it off. The 
search for elephants proving unsuccessful on the way back, he 
shot a wart-hog. 
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