84 NIGHT ALARM. 



cadma)^ and riet or reedbock (eleotragus arundina- 

 ceus). It was a beautiful sight to see them all, about 

 a hundred in number, playing about in the evening 

 sun ; but I remarked that though they were all in 

 close proximity to each other, the different families 

 never mingled. 



I was stalking them under somewhat favourable cir- 

 cumstances, when one of the Makololos discharged his 

 gun near where the boat lay, and these wary creatures 

 bolted for the long grass, and were soon lost to sight. 

 I afterwards ascertained that this man had been 

 sent out to shoot guinea fowl by Mr. Young, and his 

 mission proved a success. However, a few minutes 

 after the antelope had disappeared, I heard elephants 

 ahead, but could not tell how far off. Having altered 

 the charges in both guns, I made tracks in their direc- 

 tion, and soon came upon their first spoor, which I fol- 

 lowed up at a brisk pace for an hour and a half, when 

 I had the mortification to find that they had crossed 

 the river, and were feeding amongst the long bam- 

 boos on the opposite side. Though I could not see 

 them, the noise made by the herd satisfied me that 

 they were not far from the water. Being unable to 

 cross the river, I remained on the bank till dusk, in case 

 any of them might recross, but none did. At first I 

 thought of hastening back to the boat, about three 

 miles distant, there crossing the river, and walking up 

 to them, but Moloka and I both agreed it was too late. 



We now returned by the river bank, and I reached 

 the boat without having fired a shot. During the 

 night the party sleeping on shore were frightened, 

 and driven almost to their wits' end, by an old bull 



