CHAP. in. ELAND. 167 



had I done so, and so long as she headed right I was very 

 content to see her going. 



A few minutes after this I got one of the most sudden 

 and complete falls I ever had. My horse came down with 

 a tremendous crash in a gaping ant-eater or hyena hole, 

 the mouth of which was covered over with the long bent- 

 down grass, and shot me half a dozen yards over its head 

 on to an ant-heap, from which I picked myself up, more 

 astonished than hurt ; and finding that neither my horse's 

 legs nor my gun were the worse, I jumped on again, 

 glad to have escaped so easily, and in three minutes 

 after it happened was again at full speed after the eland, 

 which, however, had got concealed by the scattered thorns, 

 and might easily have made its escape if it had altered its 

 course, but keeping the line, I again caught a glimpse of 

 it a quarter of an hour afterwards, although so far ahead 

 that had it not still been making towards camp I should 

 have given it up. I suppose she must have slackened 

 her speed, for I gained very rapidly, and soon resumed 

 my original position about one hundred and fifty yards 

 behind her, and on doing so I noticed that she was very 

 much blown, and would, I feared, give in before we should 

 reach camp. 



Hardly had I done so, however, when she suddenly 

 freshened up, redoubled her pace, broke off from the wind, 

 and then changed her trot to the lumbering gallop natural 

 to them when much pressed. As all my endeavours to 

 turn her were fruitless, I was tempted to shoot her, but 

 while glancing in the direction of camp, wondering how 

 far off it was, I saw the cause of her strange behaviour 

 and how sensible it was, for out of the waving grass, not 



