142 NATURAL HISTORY ESSAYS 



two fatal shot-holes, situated in the shoulder exactly 

 as he describes — "Again he tilted at me, and 

 receiving both shots through the shoulder, was over- 

 thrown and slain." One could well realise the 

 sensations of Harris as he bent for the first time 

 over a trophy which no white man had ever shot 

 before : and enter into the feelings of Robert Scoon, 

 the only other who even claimed to have seen the 

 black antelope alive. Scoon, when elephant-hunting 

 like Harris, had met (so he said) a troop of sable '■ 

 less dogged than Harris, he allowed his Hottentots 

 to persuade him to leave the "unco' Black Boke " 

 alone. The tse-tse fly crippling his oxen prevented 

 the chase being resumed at a more fitting season ; 

 so " bad luck to thae stupit Hottentots I was forced 

 to come awa' withoot him." 



