CHAP. vii. HUNTING WITH DOGS. 327 



" Well, I think 1 11 come with you to-morrow and see 

 the fun ; " and with this understanding we went to bed. 



Next morning three of us started, well mounted, and 

 with my boy leading Babey. The Noodsberg is a. great 

 flat table-land, broken by a few streams, and covered with 

 short grass, and we had not far to go to find an oribi ; but 

 as they rose rather wild I did not at first give the signal 

 to slip. My friend at last spotted one lying flat on the 

 bare ground, and, edging round so as to form a half-circle, 

 we got within twenty yards, when she rose in front of the 

 hound, and the two got away on fair terms, and we, as 

 soon as they were fairly off, raced after them. In the 

 first two minutes Babey lessened the distance between 

 them by one-half, and I thought the affair was settled, 

 when I suddenly saw the antelope, seemingly having just 

 become aware of its danger, shoot away in such extra- 

 ordinary bounds as left the hound as though it were 

 standing still. 



I had often seen Babey go, but I never saw him go 

 better than he did that day, though quite unavailingly, 

 for the antelope, keeping a bee-line, gradually increased 

 his distance, and sinking a small rise disappeared from 

 view ; and the hound after half an hour's absence returned 

 quite done up and with a clean mouth. 



" I thought your dog would be a good one if he caught 

 an oribi by himself," was my friend's remark, " though he 

 certainly runs well." 



" Why, I met a nigger yesterday who pretended they 

 had caught one," I said, much disgusted, for I had thought 

 Babey could run into anything with four legs. 



" Oh, that would be the old induna I I tell you what : 



