" Antelope ! Lying down ! " I whis- 

 pered in his ear. He nodded and mo- 

 tioned me to go ahead. I crawled 

 nearer, inch by inch, my gaze riveted 

 on that object. It did not move. I B 

 grew more elated the nearer it allowed p 

 me to approach. It was not so very © 

 hard to get at an antelope, after all. 

 I felt astonishingly pleased with my 

 performance. Then — rattle, crash — 

 and a stone went bounding down. 

 What a pity, after all my painful con- 

 tortions not to do it ! I instantly raised 

 the rifle to get a shot before the swift 

 animal went flying away. 



But it was strangely quiet. I stole 

 a little nearer — and then turned and 

 went gently back to Nimrod. He was 

 convulsed with silent and unnecessary 

 laughter. My elaborate stalk had been 

 made on — a nice buff stone. 



