HARTEBEESTE AND ZEBRA 



plains ; but I saw nothing, and was just thinking of 

 turningf back when I saw some animals standinsf 

 under a tree. We all immediately crouched down, 

 and my gun-bearer with his usual idiotic self-assurance 

 whispered " Water-buck ! " But I knew better ; they 

 were the longed-for Hunter's hartebeeste, and with 

 them a solitary zebra. Now, being somewhat ex- 

 cited, I did not sufficiently consider the lie of the 

 ground before beginning the stalk, and when, after 

 great exertions, I managed to get within 150 yards, 

 I found the sun, which was low on the western 

 horizon, right in my eyes, and the glare upon the 

 sights made accurate shooting extremely difficult. 

 My first shot was low, breaking the back leg of 

 a buck. They all dashed off, and though I fired 

 three other shots I missed terribly badly. 



They seemed at first quite bewildered, moving 

 round and round, unable to see me hidden under a 

 bush, but while I was reloading they caught sight 

 of my men in the distance and immediately made ofT, 

 as I thought for good. I took up the spoor at a trot, 

 for it was easily followed in the soft sand. Just as 

 the sun, a glowing disc of deepest red, was sinking 

 over the trees, I came upon them once more, and, 

 resting my rifle against a branch, fired at the only 

 one I saw clearly. The sound of the bullet told me 

 that I had made a well-placed shot, and I dashed 

 forward as I saw the poor brute make a desperate 

 spurt and pitch head foremost to the ground. 



She proved to be a young cow, with small but 

 wonderfully symmetrical horns. Her sleek, coffee- 

 coloured coat was soft as silk, and she was in the 

 height of condition. The lower part of the tail, the 

 under parts and the inverted chevron between the 



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