214 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



stood, and which beggars all attempt at description. The 

 savages kept in our wake, quickly dispatching the wounded 

 gnoos by a touch on the spine with the point of an assagai, 

 and instantly covering up the carcasses with bushes, to secure 

 them from the voracity of the vultures, which hung about 

 us like specks in the firmament, and descended with the velo- 

 city of lightning, as each discharge of our artillery gave 

 token of prey. As we proceeded, two strange figures were 

 perceived standing under the shade of a tree ; these we in- 

 stantly knew to be elands, the savages at the same moment 

 exclaiming, 'Impoofo, impoofo,' and pressing our horses to 

 the utmost speed, we found ourselves for the first time at the 

 heels of the largest and most beautiful species of the antelope 

 tribe. Notwithstanding the unwieldy shape of these animals, 

 they had at first greatly exceeded the speed of our jaded 

 horses, but being pushed they soon separated ; their sleek 

 coats turned first blue and then white with froth ; the foam 

 fell from their mouths and nostrils, and the perspiration from 

 their sides. Their pace gradually slackened, and with their 

 full brilliant eyes turned imploringly toward us, at the end 

 of a mile, each was laid low by a single ball. They were 

 young bulls, measuring upwards of seventeen hands at the 

 shoulder. 



" I was engaged in making a sketch of the one I had shot, 

 when the savages came up, and in spite of all my remon- 

 strances, proceeded with cold-blooded ferocity to stab the 

 unfortunate animal, stirring up the blood and shouting with 

 barbarous exultation, as it issued from each newly inflicted 

 wound, regardless of the eloquent and piteous appeal, ex- 

 pressed in the beautiful clear black eye of the mild and 

 inoffensive eland. 



" In size and shape, the body of the male eland resembles 

 that of a well-conditioned Guzerat ox, not unfrequently at- 

 taining the height of nineteen hands, and weighing two thou- 

 sand pounds. The head is strictly that of the antelope, light, 



