I made up my mind to have one more day in the
neighbourhood of my present camp, and then to return to our old
quarters at Delladilla, previous to our journey to the Royan
junction.
Within three hundred yards of the camp was a regular game path,
by which the animals arrived at the river to drink every morning
from seven to nine. I had shot several tetel and ariel by simply
waiting behind a rock at this place, and, as this was my last
day, I once more concealed myself, and was shortly rewarded by
the arrival of several herds, including nellut (A. Strepsiceros),
tetel (A. Bubalis), ariel (G. Dama), the black-striped gazelle
(G. Dorcas), the small oterop (Calotragus Montanus); and, among
these, two ostriches. I had seen very few ostriches in this
country. I now had a good chance, as the herd of animals returned
from drinking by charging at full speed up the steep bank from
the water, and they passed about ninety yards from my
hiding-place, headed by the ostriches. Having the little
Fletcher, I was suddenly tempted to fire a right and left, so as
to bag an ostrich with one barrel, and a tetel with the other.
Both fell for an instant; the tetel dead, shot through the neck;
but my ostrich, that was a fine cock bird, immediately recovered,
and went off with his wife as hard as their long legs could carry
them.
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