l
day, it became rather doubtful whether I could stand the pace.

However after a while we managed to drop down into an eroded deep little
ravine. Here the air was like that of a furnace, but at least we could
walk upright for a few rods. This we did, with the most extraordinary
precautions against even the breaking of a twig or the rolling of a
pebble. Then we clambered to the top of the bank, wormed our way forward
another fifty feet to the shelter of a tiny bush, and stretched out to
recuperate. We lay there some time, sheltered from the sun. Then ahead
of us suddenly rumbled a deep bellow. We were fairly upon the herd!

Cautiously F., who was nearest the centre of the bush, raised himself
alongside the stem to look. He could see where the beasts were lying,
not fifty yards away, but he could make out nothing but the fact of
great black bodies taking their ease in the grass under the shade of
trees. So much he reported to us; then rose again to keep watch.

Thus we waited the rest of the afternoon. The sun dipped at last toward
the west, a faint irregular breeze wandered down from the hills, certain
birds awoke and uttered their clear calls, an unsuspected kongoni
stepped from the shade of a tree over the way and began to crop the
grass, the shadows were lengthening through the trees. Then ahead of
us an uneasiness ran through the herd. We in the grass could hear the
mutterings and grumblings of many great animals. Suddenly F. snapped his
fingers, stooped low and darted forward. We scrambled to our feet and
followed.

Across a short open space we ran, bent double to the shelter of a big
ant hill. Peering over the top of this we found ourselves within sixty
yards of a long compact column of the great black beasts, moving forward
orderly to the left, the points of the cow's horns, curved up and in,
tossing slowly as the animals walked. On the flank of the herd was a big
gray bull.

It had been agreed that B. was to have the shot. Therefore he opened
fire with his 405 Winchester, a weapon altogether too light for this
sort of work. At the shot the herd dashed forward to an open grass
meadow a few rods away, wheeled and faced back in a compact mass, their
noses thrust up and out in their typical fashion, trying with all their
senses to locate the cause of the disturbance.

Taking advantage both of the scattered cover, and the half light of the
shadows we slipped forward as rapidly and as unobtrusively as we could