so ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



a ramrod . In this, by tlie greatest chance, I succeed- 

 ed, and, being provided with a knife, I cut a good ram- 

 rod, loaded my rifle, and rode off to seek the quaggas 

 once more. I soon fell in with them, and, coming with- 

 in shot, fired at them right and left, and heard both bul- 

 lets tell, upon which they galloped across the plain, 

 with the stallion still after them. One of them, how- 

 ever, was very hard hit, and soon dropped astern. The 

 stallion remained to keep him company. 



About this time the moon shone forth faintly. J 

 galloped on after the troop, and presently coming up 

 with them, rode on one side, and dismounting, and 

 dropping on my knee, I sent a bullet through the shoul- 

 der of the last quagga ; he staggered forward, fell to 

 the ground with a heavy crash, and expired. The rest 

 of the troop charged wildly around him, snorting and 

 prancing like the wild horses in Mazeppa, and then set 

 off at full speed across the plain. I did not wait to 

 bleed the quagga, but, mounting my horse, galloped on 

 after the troop : I could not, however, overtake them. 

 I now returned, and endeavored to find the quagga 

 which I had last shot ; but, owing to the darkness, and 

 to my having no mark to guide me on the plain, I fail- 

 ed to find him. I then set off to try for the quagga 

 which had dropped astern with the stallion. Having 

 searched some time in vain, I dismounted, and laid my 

 head on the ground, when I made out two dark ob- 

 jects, which turned out to be what I sought. On my 

 approaching, the quagga tried to make off, when I sent 

 a ball through his shoulder, which laid him low. On 

 going up to him in the full expectation of inspecting for 

 the first time one of these animals, what was my dis- 

 appointment and vexation to find a fine brown gelding, 

 with two white stars on his forehead ! The truth now 



