A MISCALCULATION. 



" Well, young man, if you think 

 you've got an animal there that 

 knows anything about running, 

 I'm ready to give him another 



A WARM RECEPTION. 



lesson." " I salute you," said Bob, raising his hat in mock homage, " for you have 

 done what I didn't believe possible. But," he added, the next minute, "look out, 

 or you will get into trouble that you don't dream of." 



The flight of the male had carried him into taller and ranker vegetation, that 

 rose to his head. A short distance beyond the stationary animal, bob detected a 

 movement which showed that some other creature was in the grass. 



He could not see distinctly enough to identify it, but it was evident that it had 

 fixed its attention on the oryx, and meant to attack him. The strange beast looked 

 like a large dog, and was creeping so stealthily forward that the oryx appeared to 

 be unaware of his danger. 



Bob's sympathies were entirely with the graceful creature, and he was on the 

 point of raising his rifle to venture a shot in his behalf, when he saw it was too 

 late. The beast that was stealing upon the oryx was a spotted hyena, such as are 

 found only in South Africa. But a few paces separated it from its intended victim, 

 when Bob descried the animal, crouching low in the grass to escape observation. 



He wondered that the gemsbok failed to see his danger, though, judging from 

 what followed, it is not improbable he had descried it before the horseman. 



At the moment the latter was in the act of raising his rifle, the hyena moved for* 

 w urd several paces with extraordinary quickness, and leaped at the oryx, which 

 was standing with his head turned away. 



Escape was impossible, but, at the instant the hyena rose in air, the oryx seemed 

 to brace his legs firmly, and, without shifting his position, gave a single backward 

 flirt of his head. The hyena loaded on the points of both horns, which slid into it* 

 body as if they were daggpn, as indeed they Were. 



