STALKING SABLE ANTELOPES. 221 



Here I again sat, and with a longing heart watched the 

 movements of these loveliest of Afric's lovely antelopes. 

 I was struck with admiration at the magnificence of the 

 noble old black buck, and I vowed in my heart to slay 

 him, although I should follow him for a twelvemonth 

 The old fellow seemed very fidgety in his movements, 

 and while the does fed steadily on, he lagged far behind, 

 occasionally taking a mouthful of grass, and then stand- 

 ing for a few minutes under the trees, rubbing his huge, 

 knotted, cimeter-shaped horns upon their branches. At 

 length the does had fed away a hundred and fifty yards 

 from him, and he still lagged behind. This was the 

 golden moment to make a rapid stalk in upon him, 

 while his ever-watchful sentinels were absent. I saw 

 my chance, and stole rapidly down the rocky hill side 

 and gained the level on which the herd were pasturing. 

 He was now obscured from my view by the bushy, 

 dwarfish trees which adorned the ground ; the next 

 move was to get my eye upon him before he should 

 observe me: I stole stealthily forward and detected 

 him. He was still feeding very slowly on after the 

 does, and seemed quite unsuspicious. I then instantly 

 cast off my shoes and shooting-belt, and, watching the 

 lowering of his noble horns, my eye fixed tiger-like 

 upon him, stalked rapidly in. My heart beat with 

 anxiety as I advanced, and was almost within shot ; 

 twenty yards nearer, and I would fire. Again he low- 

 ered his head to crop the young grass ; I seized the 

 moment, and the twenty yards were won. 



Here was a young tree with a fork, from which I had 

 resolved to fire. The potaquaine stood with his round 

 stern right to me. I took a deadly aim and fired : the 

 ball entered very near his tail, and, passing through the 

 length of his vitals, rested in his breast. He stagger- 



