380 THE GREAT THIRST LAND. 



effectually do their work. I aimed at the thick part of 

 the neck in front of the shoulder, and about two hands 

 beneath the line of the withers. My gun was one of the 

 eight-bores, which, with seven drams of Curtis and 

 Harvey behind the bullet, was a most destructive 

 weapon ; but it required some substance in the shooter 

 to resist the recoil. Taking a very steady, careful aim, 

 I fired. The bullet told loudly, and the large swinish- 

 looking beast simply shoved his fore legs out in front of 

 him, and apparently settled down for another nap. There 

 was no hurry, no alarm in the action, and I was aston- 

 ished. Eeloading, I thought I would try if the brute 

 treated the contents of the left-hand barrel so cavalierly. 

 No more notice of it was taken than if it had been a 

 mosquito ; even the rhinoceros bird moved about its 

 master's back as intent on his avocation as he had 

 doubtlessly been for many a previous week. 



Being again prepared for anything that might occur, 

 I approached ; the bushmen preceding me by some dis- 

 tance ; they took one or two suspicious glances, and then 

 ran up, not, as I expected, to throw their assegais, but 

 actually to get on the carcase. The beast was dead, 

 killed dead in an instant, a little flowing blood on the 

 nostrils and lips save the heat of the body being the 

 only indication that it had so lately lived. 



Following the edge of one of the coppies, I shot a 

 pair of klep springers, the most graceful of the numerous 

 graceful animals to be found in this region. Their flesh 

 I did not require, but the hair of their hides would be 

 useful to stuff my saddle with. Constant sweat and use 

 have made that indispensable article sit so close to the 

 mare's back that I have been lately obliged to use a 

 piece of folded blanket underneath it an awkward 



