Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/742011
S P O R T I N G C L A S S I C S • 129 heard the whap of a striking bullet. A few seconds later the truck came up in a cloud of dust and the trackers were screaming, "He's down! He's down!" Sure enough, when the crud lifted again, we saw him down on all four knees with his head pushed into the ground. As we gathered around him to celebrate, a gust of hot air engulfed us; a nearby fire had sprung back to life and was heading our way. Tying a rope around the roan's horns, we pulled him over to a small road and loaded him in the truck. Twenty minutes later we were out of harm's way on a clear route to camp. Once back, we measured the roan's horns and found that he would score No. 20 in the Safari Club International record book. Incidentally, the PH was right; the steaks were delicious. n head and face. Quickly pulling my bandana out of my pocket, I wiped the blood from my eyes and looked up in time to see Roy frantically motioning for me to come up to a tree about 30 yards ahead. When I got up to the tree, which was still smoking, Roy just looked at me and shook his head. "He's about a hundred yards away and a little to your left. If you wait a second, the smoke should clear enough to give you a quick shot. Don't waste time, because he could decide to move off." Sure enough, Roy's prediction came true and a gap opened up in the smoke between us and the roan. I had already laid my rifle on a charred branch, and though the bull was still a little hazy in my scope, I squeezed off a shot and down he went. Then the smoke came back and he was gone, though we'd both we hurry, we can use the smoke as a screen to get up close and comfy," he said. Grabbing my .416 Rigby, I slid out of the truck and we began a very rapid stalk. Roy had an incredible way of moving when he wanted to—kind of a cross between a walk and a trot. I had trouble keeping up as we worked our way through and around smoldering trees and bushes. Worse, my feet had begun to heat up because my low-cut Converse basketball shoes didn't afford much protection whenever I stepped on a clump of hot grass. While trying to dodge the small fires, animal holes, and snakes, I suddenly saw stars and felt a sharp pain on the side of my head. Luckily the tracker grabbed me before I could fall. A sharp tree branch had stabbed me, and I was bleeding profusely down the side of my The author poses with his big roan just minutes before a grass fire swept across the sand road. The natives set fires to encourage new growth of grasses for their cattle and for wild animals. Opposite: With its horse- like build, the roan is one of Africa's fastest animals.