Was struck with the absence of tracks of the
larger animals, which coincided with my remarks on the Asua river many
years previous, when I crossed it about thirty miles higher up, on my
route from Latooka to Shooa.
I expected to return without seeing game, when we suddenly spied a few
waterbuck in the sandy bed of the river, about 300 paces distant.
We made a good stalk, but I only wounded the animal at which I fired at
about 150 yards, and they galloped off through the open forest. I heard
the bullet from the left hand barrel strike a tree stem, which saved the
antelope, but having quickly reloaded, I had a clear and steady shot at
a long range as the large buck suddenly stopped and looked back. I put
up the last sight for 250 yards and took a full bead. To my great
satisfaction the waterbuck with a fine set of horns dropped dead. I
could not measure the distance accurately as we had to descend a rocky
bank, and then, crossing the bed of the Asua, to ascend the steep north
bank before we arrived at tolerably level ground.
Upon reaching the animal, I found the bullet in the neck, where it had
divided the spine. I guessed the distance at about 240 yards.