SUCCESSFUL SHOTS. 157 



The yelp of the hound, or the sharp crack of the 

 hunters rifle, never disturbs the usually wary animals 

 that are the sole inhabitants of these woods. Finding 

 that they were increasing the distance between us, 

 and knowing that our party were relying upon my 

 rifle for fresh meat, I determined to risk a shot. So, 

 taking a steady aim, I fired at the hinder most, as it 

 offered the best mark at the time. The bullet from 

 Rigby 10 sped true, and the gazelle fell dead. Its 

 mate, startled by the report of the rifle, a sound it 

 had in all probability never heard before, ran a few 

 yards ; but finding its companion was not following, 

 pulled up again, and stood gazing intently at the 

 smoke. The rifle was soon levelled, and having put 

 up the two hundred yards sight, I drew a fine bead 

 and fired. As if untouched, the antelope ran straight 

 towards me. I fancied I had made a clean miss, and 

 hurried to place a fresh cartridge in the breech of my 

 rifle, but there were still a hundred long yards between 

 us, when the gazelle staggered and fell. On exami- 

 nation I found that the ball had entered the chest, 

 and passed out behind the right shoulder. It seem- 

 ed a miracle to me that any animal of so diminu- 

 tive a size could have gone so far with such a wound. 

 Carrying it over, I placed it alongside the first I had 

 killed, and found that the ball had passed through 

 both shoulder-blades of the latter. 



Leaving them, I continued my walk, but had not 

 gone far when, crossing a spot where the ashes of some 

 lately-burned grass covered the ground, I saw the 

 fresh footsteps of two men. Their tracks led towards 

 the hills, and I observed by the appearance of the 



