Viewing page 119 of 274

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

52

^[[insertion]] the bullet [[/insertion]] went to pieces without doing more than break the shoulder. Away he went on 3 legs as if nothing was the matter & after following him for an hour had to give him up. The double catastrophe was heartrending. However a fresh start and an hour later I found another herd, this time with 3 good bulls. But fate was against me. I did a big circle to get to windward & crouched & crawled for miles. But the wind chopped all round, apparently following me & putting them on the "qui vive" till they saw me & went off slowly. I pushed hot foot & the bull I had been stalking - a magnificent fellow - stopped & gave me a shot at what I judged to be 400 yds. But it was nearer 450, for my bullet struck ^[[insertion]] the ground [[/insertion]] absolutely exactly below his shoulder. He lept in the air like a performing dog a disappeared slowly from view. A bitter moment. The porters had succeeded in losing us & I had not a drop of water - My tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth & I could hardly swallow. We were on a waterless plateau about 10 miles from