236 ALMOST RUN OUT. 



spoor of the herd at a jog-trot, and found them all 

 standing with their noses high in the air, having faced 

 about. The moment I twigged them they observed 

 me, and were off in an instant, going this time an 

 unusually long way without stopping. I was almost 

 run out when they began to pull up, being so blown 

 that instead of putting on a spurt when they shewed 

 signs of halting, I must confess I imitated their ex- 

 ample, and reduced my pace to a walk. However, 

 being within fifty yards of them, as they turned 

 round I fired a steady shot at a large cow ; and as 

 they wheeled to bolt I fired the second barrel at ano- 

 ther, having got a very favourable shoulder shot. 

 The whole herd, accompanied by the wounded ani- 

 mals, were off again like lightning, but I went after 

 them at a reduced pace, loading as I ran. The first I 

 saw of the wounded beasts was the prostrate carcass 

 of one — an old cow — which had fallen amidst the 

 herd in some thick underwood about three hundred 

 yards from the spot where it was hit. I could not 

 help stopping an instant to see where it was struck, as 

 the side at which I had fired happened to be upper- 

 most, and found the bullet-hole four inches behind the 

 shoulder-blade in the centre of the body. 



I then followed up the spoor in hopes of re- 

 covering the other wounded one. Catching sight 

 of the herd just as they w^ere pulling up, I ran 

 as fast as I could, and managed to get within about 

 thirty yards of one which was rather behind 

 the rest, when they all stopped. Taking advan- 

 tage of a large baobab tree close to me, I con- 



