CHAP. vii. HUNTING WITH DOGS. 325 



to shoot a jungle in Victoria county, attended as 

 usual by Usipingo, and while going along the outside 

 scrub a male bush-buck got up, and was missed by the 

 nearest gun. The hound, noticing that the boy who led 

 him was not attending, made a sudden spring and got 

 clear off, and in ten minutes had run the antelope, one of 

 a very slow species, to bay in an open near the stream ; 

 and when I at last got down there through the thick and 

 precipitous jungle I found an assemblage of natives standing 

 at a safe distance, with one great tall fellow, who, fearing 

 to go in front, had just managed to put a charge of buck- 

 shot into the beast's hind-quarters, occupied in loading his 

 gun, while a cur lay yelping on the ground more frightened 

 than hurt, and another snarled at the buck's heels, dis- 

 tracting his attention from Usipingo, who, all covered 

 with blood, stood just out of reach of his lowered horns. 

 Just as I arrived the furious animal wheeled round, and 

 catching the unfortunate cur that was yelping behind him 

 on his sharp horns, tossed it howling into the air, while 

 with a jerk of its head it again marked Usipingo, who had 

 taken the opportunity of springing at its throat. Unfor- 

 tunately the moment my dog saw me he redoubled his 

 efforts, and rendered it difficult for me to get a certain 

 shot ; but at last I did so, and the noble brute for the 

 male bush-buck is the finest in appearance, as well as the 

 most plucky, of all the smaller antelopes dropped dead. 

 My dog had in all seven cuts, two of which were nasty 

 ones ; but he recovered with a week or two's care, and 

 seven of these fine bush-buck were ultimately killed by 

 him without any help. That same day he caught two 

 red buck (Cephalopus Natalensis), which rush so violently 



