76 LARGE GAME. CHAP. n. 



disappeared, some of it trampled into the ground, and 

 some thrown yards away by its feet ; two great burning 

 logs of wood were smoking on the top of my spread-out 

 bed, and even from where I was I could smell the smoul- 

 dering blankets ; the remains of my water-calabash were 

 lying in every direction, and everything in camp, save my 

 gun, which the brute had not so far touched, was more or 

 less destroyed. It was enough to try any one's temper, 

 and I asked the man next me if his gun was loaded, and 

 on getting an affirmative answer, I told him to pass it 

 over to me, and propping myself up against the trunk to 

 prevent myself being knocked down, for it was an ele- 

 phant-gun of six to the pound, I aimed at the shoulder of 

 the trampling and squealing beast, and pulled the trigger. 

 A stillness followed the report for a second, and then a 

 heavy thud, and after that violent struggles on the 

 ground. The other hunter had a double-barrel, and 

 emptied both of them into the struggling mass below 

 him, but despite the shots the brute regained its legs, 

 and went away the moment after it did so ; its vicious 

 temper much sobered by the treatment it had received. 

 Ours were not, however, improved by the incident, and 

 it was all I could do to prevent one of the hunters, who 

 was almost speechless with rage at losing his supper, 

 from giving chase on the spot. "We had, it is true, the 

 satisfaction of knowing that the upetyane, for it was one 

 of those vicious representatives of the ' Black' species, 

 had received a wound that would to some extent punish 

 him for his unprovoked attack, but a shoulder of antelope 

 was not much among four famished men, for of course I 

 shared it with the others, and the loss of my water-cala- 

 bash was a serious one where it could not be replaced. 



