46 LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



The great oryx bull was now only about two 

 hundred and fifty yards off. Something 

 startled him; a whiff of tainted air stung his 

 sensitive nostrils. He stood half-facing us, 

 his right shoulder exposed. My rifle, a long 

 Martini, had been trained on him for some 

 seconds, awaiting a favourable opportunity. 

 " Crack "and the bull fell huddled on his 

 left haunch. He sprang up, but floundered 

 pitifully. Hendrick and I were now over the 

 dune and running towards him. As we ap- 

 proached, his struggles ceased; he no longer 

 attempted to escape. He was standing on 

 three legs, for his right shoulder had been 

 smashed and the limb dangled loosely. 



The bull was an awe-inspiring sight. Every 

 separate one of the wire-like hairs on his neck, 

 shoulders and hump stood erect and quivering. 

 His wide nostrils shewed blood-red in their 

 depths ; his eyes blazed with agony and wrath ; 

 he swayed his forty-inch-long horns menac- 

 ingly from side to side, as though to test their 

 poise. 



The brave brute was evidently co-ordinating 

 his maimed but still formidable strength for a 

 charge at his enemy. " Schiet, Baas anders 

 kom hij " (" Shoot, Sir or he will come ") 

 yelled Hendrick. I had the bull carefully 



