242 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA, 



an elephant hunting expedition in their blackest col- 

 ors, kindly agreed to favor me with his help and com- 

 pany on my lonely trip. My sojourn in Colesberg re- 

 duced me considerably, and I was glad once more to 

 breathe the fresh air of the country. We got clear of 

 Colesberg at about 9 A.M., and commenced our march 

 over the country I have so often marked with my wheel- 

 tracks, and which my reader must now be fully ac- 

 quainted with. On my way I completely recruited my 

 oxen and stud, and prepared myself to take the field 

 with an immense pack of stout, serviceable dogs. I 

 also engaged as after-rider a Bushman named Booi. 



The game became plentiful in about ten days aftei 

 we left Colesberg, but when we came to the Vet River 

 I beheld with astonishment and delight decidedly one 

 of the most wonderful displays which I had witnessed 

 during my varied sporting career in Southern Africa 

 On my right and left the plain exhibited one purple 

 mass of graceful blesboks, which extended without a 

 break as far as my eyes could strain : the depth of their 

 vast legions covered a breadth of about six hundred 

 yards. On pressing upon them, they cantered along 

 before me, not exhibiting much alarm, taking care, how- 

 ever, not to allow me to ride Avithin at least four hund- 

 red yards of them. On, on I rode, intensely excited 

 with the wondrous scene before me, and hoped at length 

 to get to windward of at least some portion of the end- 

 less living mass which darkened the plain, but in vaiji. 

 Like squadrons of dragoons, the entire breadth of thi.? 

 countless herd held on their forward course as if awaro 

 of my iatention, and resolved not to allow me to weath- 

 er them. 



At length I determined to play upon their ranks, 

 and, pressing my horse to his utmost speed, dasucd for- 



