NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



found, going at their long unswerving gallop so 

 close together that a sheet might cover them, 

 while those which had been stationed or had sta- 

 tioned themselves, it is hard to say which, drop in 

 one by one as the others find themselves unable to 

 make the running any longer ; and the chase, 

 generally a Gnu or Waterbuck, pressed first by one 

 and then another, though it may distance the pack 

 for awhile, soon comes back to it, and in the end 

 is almost invariably run into." 



Mr. F. C. Selous describes a most unusual inci- 

 dent, viz., a single hound chasing an antelope. 

 He and his friends once in Bechuanaland were 

 watching a Sable Antelope, and on observing it 

 suddenly throw up its head and start off at a gallop, 

 says : " We saw that an animal was running on its 

 track, and although still distant was overhauling 

 it fast, for the Sable Antelope, not being pressed, 

 was not yet doing its best, so that when it was 

 about two hundred yards from its pursuer, which 

 we now saw was a wild dog, was not more than 

 fifty yards behind us. The noble-looking ante- 

 lope must just then have seen us, for it halted, 

 looked towards us, and then, turning its head, glanced 

 at its insignificant pursuer. That glance, however, 

 at the open-mouthed dog thirsting for its life-blood 

 must have called up unpleasant reminiscences, for, 

 instead of showing fight as I should have expected, 

 it threw out its limbs convulsively and came dashing 

 past us at its utmost speed. It was, however, to 



124 



