168 LARGE GAME. CHAP. in. 



a hundred yards distant, had risen the majestic body and 

 great floating mane of a large male lion, which, evidently 

 disgusted at our conduct, was standing watching us. Of 

 course I didn't try to turn the cow any more, for some 

 time at least, although I very nearly left her to tackle the 

 lion, but the thought of the starving natives on seeing an 

 eland decided me, and I stuck to the latter. After a 

 little I gradually brought her round, now very tired, as 

 indeed both I and my horse were, and she trotted quietly 

 and slowly in front of me until she got the wind of the 

 camp and swerved, upon seeing which I rode in alongside, 

 and dropped her dead with a ball in the shoulder, and before 

 many hours were over there was but little left, even of 

 her great carcase. 



This eland had gone some fifteen miles from start to 

 finish, and though I could easily have ridden her to a 

 standstill at any time during the last five, and indeed had 

 to ride slowly so as not to over-press and knock her up, 

 yet when I killed her I had no reason to think that she 

 could not have kept up the same pace for an indefinite 

 period. From which I conclude that at its own pace an 

 eland could probably tire out a horse confined to the same, 

 though that might be, according to the age, sex, and con- 

 dition of the animal, one that a foot-runner could keep up 

 with, or, as in this case, one that required fast galloping 

 to equal. 



It is rare, for all the numbers that are killed from horse- 

 back, to hear of any very large bag made in that way on 

 a single day, the average of the foot-hunters, considering 

 the number of days on which they find eland, being con- 

 siderably higher. This is probably owing to the herd being 



