138 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



acres were densely clad with lofty reeds and grass, which 

 towered above my head as I sat on my horse's back. 

 Beyond the reeds and grass were trees of all sizes, form 

 ing a dense shade : this is the general character of tho 

 banks of the Limpopo, as far as I have yet seen. I was 

 slowly returning to my camp, in any thing but good 

 humor at my want of success with the game I had just 

 been after, when, behold, an antelope of the most ex- 

 quisite beauty, and utterly unknown to sportsmen or 

 naturalists, stood broadside in my path, looking me full 

 in the face. It was a princely old buck of the serolo- 

 mootlooque of the Bakalahari, or bush-buck of the Lim- 

 popo. He carried a very fine, wide-set pair of horns. 

 On beholding him I was struck with wonder and de- 

 light. My heart beat with excitement. I sprang from 

 my saddle, but before I could fire a shot this gem of 

 beauty bounded into the reeds and was lost to ray sight. 

 At that moment I would have given half what I pos- 

 sessed in this world for a broadside at that lovely ante- 

 lope, and I at once resolved not to proceed further on 

 my expedition until I had captured him, although it 

 should cost me the labor of a month. 



The antelope having entered the reeds, I gave my 

 horse to my after-rider, and with my rifle on full cock 

 and at the ready, proceeded to stalk with extreme cau- 

 tion throughout the length and breadth of tho cover ; 

 but I stalked in vain; the antelope had vanished, and 

 was nowhere to be found. I then returned to my steed, 

 and rode slowly up the river's bank toward my camp. 

 I had ridden to within a few hundred yards of the wag- 

 ons, and was meditating how I should best circumvent 

 the serolomootlooque, when once more this lovely ante- 

 lope crossed my path. I had been unwittingly driving 

 him before me along the bank of the river. He trotted 



