Memba Sasa and I marched ahead on foot.  In this thin scrub we got glimpses of many beasts.  At one time we were within fifty yards of a band of magnificent eland.  By fleeting glimpses we saw also many wildebeeste and zebra, with occasionally one of the smaller grass antelope.  Finally, in an open glade we caught sight of something tawny showing in the middle of a bush.  It was too high off the ground to be a buck.  We sneaked nearer.  At fifty yards we came to a halt, still puzzled.  Judging by its height and colour, it should be a lion, but try as we would we could not make out what part of his anatomy was thus visible.  At last I made up my mind to give him a shot from the Springfield, with the .405 handy.  At the shot the tawny patch heaved and lay still.  We manoeuvred cautiously, and found we had killed stone dead not a lion, but a Bohur reed-buck lying atop an ant hill concealed in the middle of the bush.  This accounted for its height above the ground.  As it happened, I very much wanted one of these animals as a specimen, so everybody was satisfied.

Shortly after, attracted by a great concourse of carrion birds, both on trees and in the air, we penetrated a thicket to come upon a full-grown giraffe killed by lions.  The claw marks and other indications were indubitable.  The carcass had been partly eaten, but was rapidly vanishing under the attacks of the birds.

Just before noon we passed Donga Rasha and emerged on the open plains.  Here I caught sight of some Roberts’ gazelle, a new species to me, and started alone in pursuit.  They, as usual, trotted over the nearest rise, so with due precautions I followed after.  At the top of that rise I lay still in astonishment.  Before me marched solemnly an unbroken single file of game, reaching literally to my limit of vision in both directions.  They came over the land swell a mile to my left, and they were disappearing over another land swell a mile and a half to my right.  It was rigidly single file, except for the young; the nose of one beast fairly touching the tail of the one ahead, and it plodded along at a businesslike walk.  There were but three species represented—­the gnu, the zebra, and the hartebeeste.  I did not see the head of the procession, for it had gone from sight before I arrived; nor did I ever see the tail of it either, for the safari appearing inopportunely broke its continuance.  But I saw two miles and a half, solid, of big game.  It was a great and formal trek, probably to new pastures.

Then I turned my attention to the Roberts’ gazelle, and my good luck downed a specimen at 273 yards.  This, with the Bohur reed-buck, made the second new species for the day.  Our luck was not yet over, however.  We had proceeded but a few miles when Kongoni discovered a herd of topi.  The safari immediately lay down, while I went ahead.  There was little cover, and I had a very hard time to get within range, especially as a dozen zebras kept grazing across the line of my stalks.  The topi themselves were very uneasy, crossing and recrossing and looking doubtfully in my direction.  I had a number of chances at small bucks, but refused them in my desire to get a shot at the big leader of the herd.  Finally he separated from the rest and faced in my direction at just 268 yards.  At the shot he fell dead.