THE HARTEBEESTS AND GNUS 1 1 1 



When first seen moving, in its slow paces, this 

 antelope gives the impression of being a mule-like, 

 cumbrous sort of beast. Nothing is more erroneous. 

 When really alarmed and in earnest, the hartebeest 

 stretches itself out marvellously, and with free, sweep- 

 ing, machine-like action reels off mile after mile at a 

 tremendous pace and with untiring energy. Except, 

 perhaps, for its near cousin, the tsesseby the bastard 

 hartebeest of the Boers there is no animal in Africa 

 that for combined speed and staying power can 

 compare with this fleet and enduring antelope. I 

 have, with other hunters, attempted to run these 

 beasts down. On one occasion we were well 

 mounted on fresh horses, but we stood no sort 

 of chance with the troop, and after a hot chase 

 of seven miles, retired absolutely discomfited. Still 

 hartebeest, although in my opinion among the most 

 difficult of all game animals to bring to bag, are 

 to be circumvented. They can be approached at 

 times fairly easily in the pleasant forest glades of 

 Bechuanaland and the Kalahari, if the wind is right 

 and the hunter understands his business. They are 

 very persistent in holding their course up-wind, and 

 occasionally the mounted man is enabled to nick in 

 upon the line of retreat and secure an easy shot. I 

 once fairly cut a troop in half, and the animals were 

 so bewildered that I was enabled to obtain a couple 

 of decent shots at less than a hundred and fifty paces. 

 Again, even when flying from the hunter, if the pur- 

 suit is not pushed too hard, these hartebeests, which 

 are, like all the antelopes, extremely curious, will 



