236 THE OX FAMILY 



ner, a pair of antelopes came to the head of a little 

 depression or " draw " which sloped gently down to 

 the spring before our tents. They paused a short 

 distance out of range and gazed at us with the 

 greatest of curiosity, at times approaching a little 

 nearer and again retreating and standing still or im- 

 patiently stamping their feet as if deliberating if it 

 would be best to run up close and settle all doubt as 

 to what the strange objects before them were. A 

 soldier of our escort came to the table and asked his 

 captain's permission to go in pursuit of the game, and, 

 his request being granted, he slipped quietly away to 

 the right, going behind a slight rise in the ground. 



For some time we could see him moving very cau- 

 tiously and then he disappeared, and I expected every 

 moment to hear the crack of his rifle and see one of our 

 graceful visitors fall dead. I really was inclined to give 

 the gentle creatures a sign that danger was approach- 

 ing. The predatory instinct is not nearly so strong 

 when game is abundant, fairly tame, and easy to shoot 

 as it is when it is wild and difficult to approach. The 

 thought of leaving the dinner-table to shoot at these 

 antelopes did not occur to me, and, as I have indicated, 

 I wished that they might escape. Observing them 

 closely, I soon knew they were aware that an enemy 

 was coming. They stood absolutely still and gazed in 

 the direction of our soldier. A moment more and they 

 were sure there was something wrong, and, turning, 

 bounded away with lightning-like rapidity. When 

 the soldier's head appeared they were out of sight. 



Upon another occasion I was riding with an officer of 

 the army and two ladies in an ambulance drawn by 



