SHOT AT A BUSHBOCK. 63 



Once raore the recovery of this waterbuck was 

 placed in jeopardy, for as I was stooping down ex- 

 amining the footprints where another antelope of the 

 same species had joined those of the one I was follow- 

 ing, I felt Moloka's hand on my shoulder, and looking 

 round, found him crouching down, and pointing to a 

 bushbock that was walking quietly along through the 

 forest, about a hundred and fifty yards on my left, not 

 feeding, but evidently seeking some safe place of re- 

 pose for the day. 



Leaving my hat to mark the spot, I followed this 

 intruder on our labours, and soon got within some sixty 

 yards of him; but as he was still walking along straight 

 from me he did not offer a fair shot, and as I did not 

 want to wound him, thereby incurring another case of 

 ^' following up," I determined rather to let him go 

 untouched than run a risk so unfavourable. Kneeling 

 down, I gave a sharp but short whistle. This had 

 the desired effect, and the bushbock pulled up short, 

 and turning partly round, stood listening. In an in- 

 stant the messenger of death had sped, and the ante- 

 lope, shot through both lungs, ran a few yards with 

 short, crippled bounds, and fell dead. Moloka, shout- 

 ing " waffa !" (dead) laid down the gun he carried, 

 and having pulled my knife from its sheath, cut off the 

 head, and saying he would come by-and-by for the 

 meat, requested me to return to the tracks of the 

 waterbuck. This was just what I wanted. So, having 

 cut some green branches, and placed them over the 

 animal, to preserve it from the sun, which was now 

 becoming powerful, we retraced our steps. 



We had not far to go ere I discovered my hat, and 



