258 A HtJNTER'S WANDERINGS ch. 



Seizing my rifle, I rode after him, and saw another 

 following the first. As I knew they were making 

 for the open country, I just let them go at their own 

 pace, and did not attempt to fire, thinking to make 

 surer of my shot when we were out of the bush. 

 They were two bulls, I think, with splendid tails 

 and large black patches on the hind-quarters, and 

 long shining black horns of at least the average 

 length. They ran very nicely and smoothly, neither 

 swerving to the right nor to the left, but holding a 

 straight line, though going at a great pace. On 

 reaching the open ground at the loot ol the sand- 

 belt, one of them turned short off", and went away 

 like the wind, making back for the bush again, so I 

 held on after the other. I now pressed up to within 

 about fifty yards, and springing off", believe I should 

 in all human probabiHty have given the gemsbuck a 

 good shot, as he was running straight from me, well 

 within range, and there was not a bush between us ; 

 but just as I was going to fire, Bottle ran right in 

 front of the muzzle of mv rifle. I raised it at once, 

 and was intending to put it back to half-cock, when 

 he gave me a pull, and my finger being on the hair 

 trigger, the gun went off" in the air. I did not think 

 this would matter much, as there being more than a 

 mile of flat before us, I imagined I could gallop up 

 again in no time. However, I was mistaken, for 

 after going a couple of hundred yards at a gallop, 

 Bottle suddenly stopped dead in spite of all my 

 spurring ; in fact, after never having once played 

 me false during the last two months, he most un- 

 expectedly, and just when I particularly wanted him 

 to be on his best behaviour, resumed the tricks 

 which he often used to play me when I first bought 

 him, and of which I thought I had entirely broken 



