Hunting at High Altitudes 



going easily and jumping over the bushes in a 

 manner surprising for such large animals. I had 

 to ride to one side on account of the clouds of dust 

 which hid the holes of ant-bears and the cracks in 

 the ground; but at last, as they neared the edge of 

 the timber, for which they had been making, the 

 big bull was evidently done, and I was able to race 

 alongside him as he lumbered on. 



As I galloped behind the herd, I could dis- 

 tinctly smell the sweet odor associated with these 

 animals, and which comes, I believe, from the 

 fragrant bushes they browse on; the blood, even 

 when dry on the hands, has a pleasant perfume. 

 The ponies we were riding had just arrived from 

 Cape Colony, and had never been used as hunting 

 ponies. The reason for this was that almost all 

 horses in this part of Africa die of horse sickness 

 during the rains the few which survive being 

 known as "salted" horses, and are worth eight or 

 ten times as much as an unsalted horse. Even these 

 high-priced animals are not immune from the tsetse 

 fly, whose bite is fatal to domestic animals, so that 

 it is more economical on a short trip to use horses 

 brought in from the Cape, when all risks, such as 

 losing them having them killed by lions or "fly" 

 are considered. 



I had never fired from the saddle, and as far as 

 350 



