AFRICAN GAME. 305 



miles through an old gray forest of mimosas, when we halted for 

 the night. Large flocks of Guinea-fowls roosted in the trees 

 around our encampment, several of which I shot for my supper. 



On the 23d we inspanned by moonlight, and continued our 

 march through a thinly-wooded, level country. It was a lovely 

 morning ; the sun rose in great splendor, and the sky was beauti- 

 fully overcast with clouds. Having proceeded about ten miles, 

 the country became thickly covered with detached forest trees 

 and gioves of wait-a-bit thorns. The guides now informed us 

 that the water, which is called by the Bechuanas " Lepeby," 

 was only a short distance in advance, upon which I saddled steeds, 

 and rode ahead with the Bushman, intending to hunt for an hour 

 before breakfast. Presently we reached an open glade in the 

 forest, where I observed a herd of zebras in advance ; and on my 

 left stood a troop of springboks, with two leopards watching them 

 from behind a bush. I rode on, and soon fell in with a troop of 

 hartebeests, and, a little after, with a large herd of blue wilde- 

 beests and pallahs. I followed these for some distance, when 

 they were re-inforced by two other herds of pallahs and wilde- 

 beests. Three black rhinoceroses now trotted across my path. 

 Presently I sprang from my horse, and fired right and left at a 

 princely bull blue wildebeest. He got both balls, but did not fall ; 

 and I immediately lost sight of him in the dense ranks of his 

 shaggy companions. The game increased as we proceeded, until 

 ihe whole forest seemed alive with a variety of beautifully-colored 

 animals. On this occasion I was very unfortunate ; I might have 

 killed any quantity of game if venison had been my object ; but I 

 was trying to get a few very superior heads of some of the master 

 bucks of the pallahs. Of these I wounded four select old bucks 

 but in the dust and confusion caused by the innumerable quantity 

 of the game I managed to lose them all. 



We had now ridden many miles from the wagons ; and feeling 

 faint from want of food, I dropped the chase in disgust, and, with- 

 out looking at my compass, ordered the Bushman to go ahead 

 My attention had been so engrossed with the excitement of the 

 pursuit, that I had i,ot the remotest idea of the course I had taken, 



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