CHAP. III. ELAND. 149 



that I only had a stern shot, when I followed their 

 example ; as, indeed, I remarked aloud at the time, for 

 the knowledge that my bullets could only have entered 

 behind and driven forwards might have been of use, and 

 a guide to the ownership of the animal, under the hunters' 

 law of first wound, had any of them been, as they were, 

 ultimately killed. Not that any thought of a dispute had 

 crossed my mind, for it is but a fair tribute to the native 

 hunters with whom I was accustomed to hunt to say that 

 a less jealous, or more honest set, as far as regarded 

 shooting, could not have been found, and that during all 

 the years I hunted among them I never once had, or 

 heard of, a serious dispute, even when — it being, from 

 some circumstance, such as similar bullets or the like, 

 quite impossible to assign an owner to the game — the 

 matter had to be decided by one of the petty officers 

 who are appointed for such purposes ; though, even then, 

 if any one clauned the first wound with a fair show of 

 reason, although he might not be able to prove it, and no 

 other evidence than his word could be adduced, in most 

 cases his claim would be tacitly allowed. I mention this, 

 as such a very different line of conduct was pursued by 

 these white men on this and subsequent occasions, that I 

 was much struck by the contrast. 



Following the bufialo with my eye, I saw one of those 

 I had fired at separate from the others, and after loading, 

 which, as I had a muzzle-loader, delayed me some time, I 

 ran after it, but before I could go very far on the spoor I 

 heard a shot in fi'ont, and then met H. returning with his 

 dogs, which had bayed it. He told me that it was one 

 which he had wounded, though the native with him after- 



