One Heck Of A Ride

111 Liberia And Its Duikers My first forest duiker was a nice bay duiker, a beautiful forty-pound antelope about eighteen or nineteen inches tall at the shoulder. Its reddish brown coat was sleek and there was a solid black streak along the entire length of its back and a tuft of white hair on the end of its tail. Its spike- like horns were less than two inches long. Saloe was thrilled with the animal, and we immediately ended that night’s hunt and headed to the village, arriving there at 3:00 AM. The villagers had virtually nothing, and although I was concerned about potentially unsanitary conditions, I slept in the chief’s hut through what remain0ed of the night until about 7:00. (The corrugated metal roof and walls made it almost unbearably hot during the day, but it was not bad at night.) The guides and I collected small bananas, coconut meat and milk, berries and various nuts from the forest for a great light breakfast When we returned to the village about noon, I figured I would be returned to the safari camp. Instead, the chief’s cook had prepared my duiker for the main meal and I was privileged to eat with the villagers. It was a very special meal prepared especially for me, consisting of wonderful duiker meat barbecued over an open fire and served with cassava, rice, palm butter and hot pepper gravy. It was fantastically delicious. Mel Topence and author singing with village children My overnight stay in their village was a great experience. I found my hosts warm and friendly and learned they loved to have their pictures taken. We returned to the main camp that afternoon and spent the next few days resting during the day and hunting at night with the headlamps and spotlight I’d brought from California. The three of The hunting party encountered many Liberian women carrying everything from firewood to laundry on their heads Unique termite mound in Liberian rainforest. Some villagers are known to “harvest,” dry and eat the insects, calling them “sweet meat.”