and
thin and always seems to wear a quizzical look of good humor, as if he
were amused at something. Others besides myself have remarked upon this,
so I am hoping that the kongoni wore this amused look even at times when
he was not looking at me. His long, rakish horns are mounted on a
pedicle that extends above his head, thus accentuating the droll length
of his features. His withers are unusually high and add to the awkward
appearance of the animal. Standing, the kongoni is a picture of alert,
interested good humor; running, he is extremely funny, as he bounces
along on legs that seem to be stiffened so that he appears to rise and
fall in his stride like a huge rubber ball. We made quite a study of the
kongoni, for he is a most interesting animal. He is unselfish and
vigilant in protecting the other creatures of the plain. His eyes are as
keen as those of a hawk, and when a herd is feeding there are always
several kongoni sentinels posted on ant-hills in such a strategic way
that not a thing moves anywhere on the plains that escapes their
attention. Oftentimes I have cautiously crept to the top of a ridge to
scan the plains, and there, a mile away, a kongoni would be looking at
me with great interest.

If you try to approach he will remain where he is until his warning
sneezes have alarmed all the other animals, and finally, when all have
fled, he goes gallumphing along in the rear. He is the self-appointed
protector of his fellow creatures, the sentinel of the plains. I have
seen him run back into danger in order to alarm a herd of unsuspecting
zebras.

He leads the wildebeests to water and he lends his eyes to the elephants
as they feed. With nearly every herd of game, or near by, will be found
the faithful kongoni, always alert, watchful, and vigilant, and it is
nearly always his cry of warning that sends the beasts of the plains
flying from dangers that they can not see.

The sportsman swears at the kongoni because it so often alarms the
quarry he is stalking. How very often it happens! The hunter sees afar
some trophy that he is eager to secure and straightway begins a careful
stalk of many hundred yards. At last, after much patient work, he
reaches a point where he feels that he can chance a shot. He takes a
careful sight and at that moment a kongoni that has been silently
watching him from some place or other gives the alarm, and away goes the
trophy beyond reach of a bullet. And then how the hunter curses a