CH. vii] ELANDS FOR THE MUSEUM 157 



ahead and to our left. The ^^rouiid was too open to 

 admit of tlie possibility of a stalk ; but, Icavino- my 

 horse and the porters to follow slowly, the gun-bearers 

 and I walked quartering toward them. They liesitated 

 about going, and when I had come as close as I dared, 

 I motioned to the two gun-bearers to continue walking, 

 and dropped on one knee. I had the little Spring-field, 

 and was anxious to test the new sharp-pointed military 

 bullet on some large animal. The biggest bull was half 

 facing me, just two hundred and eighty yards off. I 

 fired a little bit high and a trifle to the left ; but the 

 tiny ball broke his back, and the splendid beast, heavy 

 as a prize steer, came plungmg and struggling to the 

 gi'ound. The other bull started to run off, but after I 

 had walked a hundred yards forward, he actually trotted 

 back toward his companion, then halted, turned, and 

 galloped across my front at a distance of a himdred and 

 eighty yards ; and him, too, I brought down with a 

 single shot. The little full-jacketed, sharp-pointed bullet 

 made a terrific rending compared with the licaAier, 

 ! ordinary-shaped l^uUet of the same composition. 

 I I was much pleased with my two prizes, for the 

 ' National Museum particidarly desired a good group 

 I of eland. They were splendid animals, like beautiful 

 ' heavy cattle, and I could not sufficiently admire their 

 , sleek, handsome, striped coats, their sliapely heads, fine 

 I horns, and massive bodies. The big bull, an old one, 

 I looked blue at a distance. He was very heavy, and his 

 ' dewlap hung down just as with cattle. His companion, 

 I although much less heavy, was a full-grown bull in his 

 '> prime, with longer horns, for the big one's horns had 

 I begun to wear down at the tips. In their stomachs 

 I were grass blades, and, rather to my surprise, aloe- 

 leaves. 



