NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



were not complete, these quietly moved off, and dis- 

 appeared after the elusive manner of their kind. 

 Everything, however, was now in order. The men 

 were at their stations ; the horses fit and keen ; the 

 fences firm and strong; the kraal open-mouthed and 

 ready for all comers, while, lying behind a rough 

 shelter of bush, were two or three natives, ready to 

 spring forward to bar the entrance the moment 

 the Zebras were in. The horsemen began to move 

 down the hills, closing round the valley, and there 

 below them, quietly grazing on the slope of a gentle 

 rise, was a troop of eight of the beautiful creatures 

 they were seeking. Recognition was mutual and 

 instantaneous, but the sentiment of the Zebras just 

 now was evidently that of Dr. Johnson when ^he 

 found himself in the company of uncongenial 

 characters : ' Gentlemen, I do desire that we be 

 better strangers,' for, with a shake of their heads, 

 and an indignant snort from their leader, the troop 

 trotted off. They soon recognised that the hills 

 were already occupied, and breaking into a canter, 

 they made down the slopes for the open valley. The 

 horsemen rode warily ; they wanted no stampede. 

 As long as the troop were going in the right direc- 

 tion all was well. And now they are in the open 

 ground. Away to the left is the main fence ; in a 

 semi-circle behind are the pursuers ; away to the 

 right is the line of horsemen guarding the wing. 

 So straight on the Zebras canter. Now they are 

 between the fences ; but they have not yet realised 



198 



