174 LODGES IN THE WILDERNESS 



The herd of oryx sped on ; I remounted and 

 followed at a slow canter. Yes, there was 

 my quarry, a bull turned out of the press and 

 faltered in his course. I rode towards him; 

 he still cantered but his gait was laboured. 

 He stood, turned and faced me. 



He was a noble brute, a leader among the 

 oryx people. Still as a statue he stood, defying 

 his enemy. His wire-like hair was erect and 

 quivering; his red, trumpet-formed nostrils 

 seemed to exude defiance; his shoulders and 

 flanks were heavily banded with streaks of 

 foam. In spite of the long chase he did not 

 appear to pant. 



I dismounted when within about sixty yards 

 and advanced towards the doomed and stricken 

 creature. Now it behoved me to be wary, for 

 had the bull charged and my shot failed to dis- 

 able him, my death would inevitably have re- 

 sulted. So I took careful aim at a spot just 

 above where his neck emerged from his chest, 

 and fired. The bull sank to the ground in a 

 huddled heap. 



I now became aware for the first time that I 

 was suffering from raging thirst. To my dis- 

 may I found that the small flask of weak whis- 

 key and water I had slung to the side of my 

 saddle had got smashed in the course of the 



