268 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



his loins. It's no use regretting, but had my ball gone a 

 foot farther back, I doubtless would have had a splendid 

 hide to repay me for my loss, if such it deserves to be 

 considered. 



Here I made what I thought a wondrously good 

 shot, yet it was one of those lucky incidents that are 

 the exception, not the rule. I found some hartebeest 

 in the woodlands ; they were very wary, and as the 

 Basuto had not speed enough, I could not overtake 

 them. I, however, followed the game for nearly an 

 hour ; but whenever I dismounted to fire, they managed 

 to get trees and bushes between myself and the object 

 of my aim. At length my perseverance drove them 

 into the open country, on reaching which they all went 

 off as hard as they could scamper. I was going to give 

 the chase up as a hopeless job, although we wanted 

 meat, so was about to retrace my steps when the 

 antelopes halted. 



They were over five hundred yards distant, still I 

 raised my sight, knelt on the ground, and took aim 

 not that I expected to kill, I can assure you when, 

 with the report, the leader of the herd sprung into the 

 air, pitched upon her head, made half a dozen ineffectual 

 efforts to regain her legs, each more futile than the 

 preceding, then turned upon her flank, and yielded up 

 the last remains of vitality. 



I am in great trouble. My poor little Basuto 

 pony, the last of my Natal stud, has died of horse- 

 sickness. Thus I have to grieve over the double loss of 

 a most valuable animal and also a hardy affectionate 

 companion. We have travelled so far together that 

 I am certain the reader will agree with me that the 

 manner of his death deserves to be explained. 



