122 LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



tically disappeared. The width of the danger- 

 zone has gone on increasing with the longer 

 range of the rifle. 



Wild animals are quick to learn and to un- 

 learn — which is not quite the same as to forget. 

 Thus the springbuck has ceased to dread the 

 springing enemy, the creature of teeth and 

 claws that used to lie in ambush; in fact he 

 never contemplates the contingency of any 

 enemy at close quarters, and on the rare occa- 

 sions when he meets one, the experience 

 appears to fill him with surprise rather than 

 alarm. 



The distance between us and the herd had 

 decreased to a little over two thousand yards, 

 so I detached Hendrick and instructed him 

 to alter his course to the left and endeavour 

 to edge round the still unsuspecting animals. 

 The object was to stampede the herd so that 

 it would pass me on my right and head towards 

 where Andries lay in ambush. Bucephalus 

 and Hendrick loomed immense and black 

 against the back-ground of yellow shocks, but 

 they were apparently unobserved by the game, 

 for the latter still grazed and " pronked " 

 about as though they had the whole desert to 

 themselves, — as though no entangling web 

 were being drawn about them. 



