CHAP. vii. HUNTING WITH DOGS. 353 



no danger of frightening them by the exposure of my head, 

 I sat and watched them. The men did their best, and 

 the dogs did theirs ; but herd after herd utterly refused 

 to go in the required direction, one of them making back 

 right in their faces, and perversely offering splendid shots 

 to those who had no guns. The last herd seemed at first 

 to be going right, but at the last minute they also turned 

 off and made for a crossing-place about a mile above 

 me ; so that after wasting some eight hours I went home 

 without a hartebeest having come within half a mile .of 

 me. The natives, however, when they came in, said that 

 I was not to be discouraged, and that I would certainly be 

 more successful next day, and as I really wanted meat to 

 sun-dry for provisions, and had so far only managed by 

 firing at long distances to kill two of these antelopes, I 

 consented to sit for one day more in the scorching sun, 

 which glared on the white and red clay of the gully, whose 

 perpendicular banks prevented a breath of wind from 

 entering, and made the atmosphere all but unbearable, so 

 that, indeed, I had to spread a handkerchief over my guns 

 where they lay, partly to prevent the barrels burning my 

 hands, and partly with a half-defined idea that they might 

 go off of themselves if they got too hot. 



Next day four of the men appeared on horseback, 

 riding clean-limbed active-looking little mares, with a 

 sack for a saddle, and a grass rope for a bridle. They 

 suggested that as there were four crossings which the 

 hartebeest were likely to make for, and only myself to 

 guard them all, stops should be placed at the other 

 three, who need not unnecessarily show themselves (and 

 so give the game an idea that it was surrounded), unless 



z 



