Omaha daily bee., 1908-10-05

tiously pursuing. We could not get up
TO them. as they had probably chosen
the plain to walk on for the same rea-
son had. and when we left them and
returned to our muttons. or rather rhino
that beast had finished his unholy mud
pie work and ambled off to parts un-
known. SO I went on a little farther and
shot a few sebras for supper and then went
home.
When / got to camp 1 was able to sim
ulate dissatisfaction with the days work.
but IT was some time before 1 could look
old Nur jana, my Somali gitnbearer,
%squarely in the. eyes without blushing. He
has been lowering around while l am work
ing evidently hoping l would accompany
him off to murder something, but 1 told
him I had important letters to write. For
tunately, he doesn't speak much English,
and as my knowledge Of his tongue is
practically iii. he can't do much. He is
now off cleaning my guns, much to my
relief. l have two gunbearers. and when
| go out hunting It looks remarkably like
a circus parade. First goes old Muir, with
my light rifle, he pretending always to
see them long before he does. though 1
never mention Il, hoping VIC may get past
without having to shoot. Then 1 come,
riding on my mule, with a pith helmet on.
A plth helmet is a terror to hunt in. 1t
gets In your way In front when you want
to shoot, and In your way behind II you
have to approach your prey on your hands
and knees. 1 generally manage to knock
my rifle against it, when it gives out a hol-
low sound that effectually scares away
the game. Then comes Juma, my second
gunbearer, with the heavy rifle. He wears
his front teeth filed to points. and 1 can
hardly keep my eyes off them. Then my
syce, BoOble by name, and most appro-
priately. / never feel sure II he has put
the curb on over the mules nogc or the
saddlecloth on over the saddle till 1 have
inspected his work. Then comes - and
his gunbearer; then a slave with my pho
tograph apparatus on the end OF a stick,
from which it falls off occasionally, gener-
ally, taking a picture as It strikes
the ground; then two or three unincum-
bered slaves who are to be used as pack
horses to bring the game In on, or who
will go back to camp and bring out more
porters IL any large beast Is successfully
overcome. Maybe we get lost, when every
body has a try at finding camp, with the
result that you would be ready to swear
there was no camp within 1000 miles. We
did that once, ard I thought 1 should never
see home again, till the lucky idea came
over me to let the mule try, which 1t did
with complete success.
Variety of Wary Animals.
Sometimes in a long excursion nothing
much is seen, and, again, you come UP
against a bunch Of giraffe and watch them
through your glasses for a long time
as they reach up to the tops Of the stunted
acacias for feed. Maybe you pass elephant
spoor, like great postholes in the mud,
to see bands OF monkeys swinging along in
the trees, or a cerval cat jumps off with
a flash OF orange n black fur. Troops OF
zebra, like fat, painted polo ponies, watch
you enviously. Kongolni (wild antelope)
plunge off the high ant hills. where they
love to stand and mediate in their fool.
ish way, and go off at a numbering gal.
lop or with \ trot like a high-actlonet
horse. wart hogs with hugh tusks scampei
away, their tails straight up in the air
AS you near the river a red buck and doe
jump from their beds and bound off will
a shrill whistle, and the relocated bust
buck slips quietly through the trees. II
the distance a hyena shrinks along with 6
curious numbering gait. and occasionally
two or three tiny oubi watch you approach
stamp their delicate little feet and off
Dyker bucks. like huge mice two feet long
pop up before you and are lost to sigh
ina moment. Above your hesds,the vul'
lures wheel in endless circles. They have
sighted the offal OF the kongi you hav,
shot and are coming down for a bite. A
brilliant colored plantain bird. like a littll
rainbow, flashes past, and a little jacka
watches you with Its bright eyes.