X WOUND A LECHWE 183 



rest of the herd bounded away, the stricken animal 

 remained standing, with his head down and mouth 

 open, and his tail held straight out. The herd, after 

 running about 100 yards, turned and stood looking 

 towards the wounded one, as it waiting for him ; so, 

 hastily reloading, I ran towards them, hoping to 

 secure another buck, for 1 felt sure the first 1 had 

 fired at was done for. They allowed me to get 

 within 150 yards, when some ewes began trotting 

 away, followed by the rest in single file. Two 

 splendid old rams stood nearest me, and, taking 

 one of them just behind the shoulder as he turned 

 to run, I fired, and heard the bullet strike distinctly ; 

 but, in spite of it, he went off after the rest. The 

 sound of the shot seemed to act as a tonic on the 

 one first wounded, who at once started off at a great 

 pace, skirting along the water ; so, telling the Kafirs 

 to follow the other, I took a man and a boy with me 

 and went after him. He soon took to the water, 

 and made across a broad flooded valley towards a 

 large extent of dry ground on the farther side. 



It was easy to follow him, even when not in sight, 

 as, besides the bloody traces he left on the dry ground, 

 the blades of grass that grew above the water were 

 besprinkled with blood from his mouth and nostrils, 

 so that I felt sure the bullet had passed through one 

 of his lungs. Thinking the best plan would be to 

 leave him to himself tor a bit, I turned back, and 

 made all haste in the direction of the one 1 had 

 wounded at the second shot, as I did not know 

 exactly where I had hit him, and thought he might 

 require another bullet. We soon found the spoor 

 of the Kafirs following on the bloody tracks of the 

 buck, and shortly afterwards perceived them wading 

 towards us across a broad expanse of shallow water. 



