CHASE OF A GNOO. 113 



In the afternoon of the same day that I reached Richter- 

 feldt a very exciting and animating chase took place. A 

 gnoo had been slightly wounded by a Hottentot servant of 

 Mr. Rath. The natives, who had watched the whole affair 

 from the station, immediately gave chase to the animal. 

 Finding itself hard pressed, the gnoo, in its fright, took ref- 

 uge in the village, where it was quickly hemmed in on all 

 sides. Every woman and child had turned out to witness its 

 destruction, while the men were vociferously contending about 

 the right to the carcass. Assegais and arrows, moreover, 

 were whizzing thick round our eai's, and I had considerable 

 difficulty in making my way through this scene of confusion 

 to the poor gnoo, which I found at bay in the middle of Mr. 

 Hath's sheep-kraal, not twenty feet from his own dwelling. 

 It was pierced with two assegais, and the blood flowed in 

 stream.s down its panting and foaming sides. 



Though the gnoo is but a comparatively small animal, its 

 high fore quarters, its coarse and shaggy mane, and its buffalo 

 head, gives it a very imposing and formidable appearance. 

 It was impatiently stamping and striking the ground with its 

 fore feet, and its looks seemed to bid defiance to us all. 



At some risk, on account of the immense concourse of 

 people assembled, I put a ball through the animal's shoul- 

 ders, which at once ended its sufferings. A few minutes more 

 —nay, rather seconds — there was not a vestige to be seen of 

 it. Indeed, it was literally torn to pieces by the natives. 



On paying my respects, later in the evening, to Mr. and 

 Mrs. Rath, I was politely informed that the penalty for 

 shooting the gnoo was a goat. This being explained, I found, 

 to my surprise, that the ball had passed clean through the 

 antelope, and had struck dead a goat belonging to these 

 worthy people. 



The day previously to my reaching the encampment, Mr. 

 Galton had started on an excursion to the westward. His 

 object was chiefly to procure cattle from the natives, for we 



