HUNTING TIIE QUAGGA. 209 



tiie vultures, and they too came sneaking from their hiding places 

 in the rocks and holes of the ant-bear in the plains to share in the 

 feast, while I was obliged to remain a quiet spectator, not daring 

 to move, as the game was now in herds on every side of me, and 

 I expected to see ostriches every moment. Presently a herd of 

 wildebeest came thundering down upon me, and passed within 

 shot. I put a bullet into one of these, too far behind the shoulder 

 which, as is always the case with deer and antelopes, did not 

 seem to affect him in the slightest degree, fn the afternoon we 

 altered our positions,. and sent the boys to drive the plain beside 

 which I had been sitting all day. The quantity of bucks which 

 were now before our eyes beat all computation. The plain ex- 

 tended, without a break, until the eye could not discern an-' object 

 smaller than a castle. Throughout the whole of this extent were 

 herds of thousands and tens of thousands of springboks, inter- 

 spersed with troops of wildebeest. The boys sent us one herd 

 of about three hundred springboks, into which Strydom let fly at 

 about three hundred yards, and turned them and all the rest. 



It was now late in the day, so we made for home, taking up the 

 buck which Strydom had shot in the morning. As we cantered 

 along the flats, Strydom, tempted by a herd of springboks, which 

 were drawn up together in a compact body, jumped off his horse, 

 and, giving his ivory sight an elevation of several feet, let drive at 

 them, the distance being about five hundred yards. As the troop 

 bounded away, we could distinguish a light-colored object lying in 

 the short heath, which he pronounced to be a springbok, and on 

 going up we found one fine old doe lying dead, shot through the 

 spine. This day, and every day since I arrived at these flats, I 

 was astonished at the number of skeletons and well-bleached skulls 

 with which the plains were cohered. Thousands of skulls of 

 springbok and wildebeest were strewed around wherever the 

 hunter turned his eye. The sun was extremely powerful all day 

 but, being intent on the sport, I did not feel it until I found mj 

 legs burned ; my dress, as usual, was the kilt, with a gray stalk 

 mg-cap. On reaching home the following day, a large party of 

 natives, belonging to the chief Moshesh, arrived on the farm. 



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