HUNTING THE QNOO. 19" 



ength upon the gravel. I then quickly reloaded my rifle, lying 

 on my side ; a proceeding which, I may inform those who have 

 not yet tried it, is rather difficult to accomplish. While I was 

 thus occupied the three remaining hounds reluctantly withdrew, 

 and described a semicircle to leeward of me for the purpose o 

 obtaining my wind, and more correctly ascertaining the cause of 

 their discomfiture. Having loaled, I re-opened my fire, and 

 wounded another, when they all made off. 



I could not help feeling very reluctant to fire at the jolly hounds. 

 The whole affair remined me so very forcibly of many gallant 

 courses I had enjoyed in the Scottish deer-forest with my own 

 noble deer-hounds, that I could not divest myself of the idea that 

 those now before me deserved a better recompense for the masterly 

 manner in which they were pursuing their desperate game. 

 One hound, in particular, bore a strong expression of dear old 

 Factor in his face, a trusty stag-hound bred by myself, whose 

 deeds, though not renowned in verse like Ossian's Oscar and 

 Luath, were perhaps little inferior either in speed or prowess to 

 those famed in ancient song. 



Having summoned my men, and with considerable difficulty 

 dragged the ponderous carcass of the old bull out of the water, 

 we found that he had been cruelly lacerated by the hounds. It 

 appeared to me that they had endeavored to hamstring him. 

 His hind legs, haunches, and belly were dreadfully torn ; he had 

 lost half his tail, and was otherwise mutilated. Poor old bull ! 

 I could not help commiserating his fate. It is melancholy to 

 reflect that, in accordance with the laws of nature, such scenes of 

 pain must ever be occurring; one species, whether inhabiting 

 earth, air, or ocean, being produced to become the prey of another. 

 At night I watched the water, with fairish moonlight, and shot a 

 large spotted hyrena. 



I continued here hunting hartebeests until the 21st, when I 

 inspanned at an early hour, and trekked due east until sundown, 

 when I halted near a small fountain of fine water, having per- 

 formed a march of about twenty-five miles. Our road lay through 

 a wuJ, uninhabited country, producing sweet grass in a bum lance, 



