CHAP. vii. HUNTING WITH DOGS. 341 



his legs, until the gnu, finding itself unable to catch him, 

 gave up the chase, and turning made off in the opposite 

 direction. Upon this Shot returned to his former posi- 

 tion, and kept the enraged old bull so well occupied in 

 making continual rushes at him, that I was enabled to 

 overtake them. The idea of there being any danger to 

 myself to be anticipated from the animal never for an 

 instant crossed my mind, and I advanced to shoot it as I 

 would have done an impalla, or any other harmless ante- 

 lope ; and even when, after an unsuccessful raid upon the 

 dog, it came straight on towards me, it never struck me 

 that it could be charging. However, by the time that it 

 was ten yards off I saw what it meant, and as I couldn't 

 run away, I did my best to shoot it in the middle of the 

 forehead, and luckily succeeded. It was the only time 

 that I ever saw a gnu fall lifeless, as they are without 

 exception the^ toughest of all the wild game that I have 

 met with ; and it was also the only time that I was ever 

 charged by one, though, when I told about it at the camp- 

 fire that night, almost every old hunter had a similar 

 experience to relate. 



Neither the koodoo (Antilope strepsicerosj nor the 

 water-antelope (Kobus ellipsiprymnus) are remarkable for 

 their speed, and in one of the most beautiful scenes I ever 

 saw in Africa, these two antelopes, brought to bay by a 

 lot of Kaffir dogs, played a prominent part. I was at the 

 time encamped about two miles above where the river 

 Pongolo, forming a deep gorge through the Bombo moun- 

 tains, escapes into the Amatonga flats beyond, on its way 

 to join the Sutu. The natives who live on that range had 

 sent down a message to us that a strong body of them 



