442 THE GIANT ELAND [ch. xv 



in a place where the trees grew rather more thickly 

 than usual. 



Stalking as close as he dared, he selected a big animal 

 which he hoped was a bull, and fired three shots into it ; 

 however, it ran, and he then saw that it was a cow. 

 As the rest of the herd jumped up he saw the form of 

 the master bull looming above the others. They crossed 

 his front at a slashing trot, the cows clustered round the 

 great bull ; but just as they came to a small opening, 

 they parted a little, giving him a clear shot. Down 

 went the bull on his head, rose, received another bullet, 

 and came to a standstill. This was the last bullet from 

 the maoazine ; and now the mechanism of the rifle 

 refused to work or to throw the empty shell out of the 

 chamber. The faithful Winchester, which Kermit had 

 used steadily for ten months, on foot and on horseback, 

 which had suffered every kind of hard treatment and 

 had killed every kind of game, without once failing, had 

 at last given way under the strain. While Kermit was 

 working desperately at the mechanism, the bull, which 

 was standing looking at him within fifty yards, gradually 

 recovered, moved off step by step, and broke into a 

 slow trot. After it went Kermit as hard as he could 

 go, still fussing with the rifle, which he finally opened, 

 and refilled with five cartridges. Kermit could just 

 about keep the eland in sight, running as hard as he 

 was able. After a mi e or two it lay down, but rose as 

 he came near, and went off again, while he was so 

 blown that though, with four shots, he hit it twice, he 

 failed to kill it. He now had but one bullet left, after 

 which he knew that the rifle would jam again ; and it 

 was accordingly necessary to kill outright with the next 

 shot. He was just able to keep close to the bull for 

 half a mile, then it halted ; and he killed it. Leaving 



