THE BIG GAME OF AFRICA 



vancing as quickly as I could, so as to be able to secure 

 another snap shot at closer quarters, and when within some 

 fifteen yards of the animal, I took two successful pictures 

 of the stately antelope. Once more he tried to get up, 

 but this time, to my amazement, not with the intention of 

 escaping, but with reveng^ in his mind. With lowered 

 horns and uttering some strange-sounding bellowlike 

 grunts, he rushed at me. Once more he went down on his 

 knees, only a few yards away, when I had time to " snap 

 him " again. Quickly I exchanged the camera for the 

 rifle. This was hardly done, before the courageous roan 

 made a last attempt to attack, but as he struggled to his 

 feet, another shot put an end to his agony. 



A large bull roan will reach five feet in height over the 

 shoulders. He carries a pair of beautiful, sharp-pointed 

 horns, curving backwards like a Turkish saber, and show- 

 ing very marked, round year rings. The color of the 

 grown-up animals varies from light brown to dark gray. 

 The face is almost black, with lovely white patches of hair 

 on the forehead, below the eyes, running down in a wedge- 

 shape toward the nose. The roan is one of the few ante- 

 lopes that carries a well-developed mane, which consists 

 of very straight, coarse hair, about three to four inches 

 in height. The under side of his neck and lower jaw, 

 as well as part of his belly, is almost snow-white, which 

 makes the skin of this animal very beautiful indeed. 



The roan antelope goes, as a rule, in small herds of 

 twelve to eighteen. They are very shy and wary, and 

 belong to the most courageous of animals. It has often 

 happened in South Africa, where this antelope was often 

 hunted on horseback with a pack of dogs, that a wounded 



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