RHUMBA. 201 



me : seven or eight little conical gipsy 

 tents were pitched in an open glade, 

 constituting evidently only a temporary 

 encampment. In front of each hut 

 stood tethered and picketed like a 

 horse, a black buck antelope. I stopped 

 and inquired from my gipsy friends 

 what this meant, and what manner of 

 men they were. " We are stone-cutters 

 by profession," they said, " and snarers 

 of all kinds of game ; and these antelopes 

 are not as the sahib supposes, either 

 pets or intended to be killed and eaten ; 

 we use them in capturing other ante- 

 lope, and we will show the sahib how it 

 is done if he likes." 



It is scarcely necessary to say that I 

 caught at the offer, and arranged to 

 have a large boat ready next morning to 



