ANTELOPE-SHOOTING. 29 



carefully avoid the hilly country, but sometimes 

 appear in the undulating parts of the steppe, par- 

 ticularly in spring, attracted by the young grass, 

 which shoots up under the influence of the sun's 

 warmth. They shun thickets and high grass, ex- 

 cepting at the time of parturition, which is in May, 

 when the doe seeks the covert to conceal her new- 

 born offspring. But a few days after their birth the 

 fawns follow their mothers about everywhere, and 

 soon rival the fleet-footedness of their sires. They 

 very seldom utter any sound, though the males oc- 

 casionally give a short loud bleat. Nature has en- 

 dowed them with excellent sight, hearing, and smell ; 

 their swiftness is marvellous, and their intelligence 

 well developed, qualities which prevent their falling 

 so easy a prey, as they otherwise would, to their 

 enemies — man and the wolf. 



Antelope-shooting is a difficult business, both be- 

 cause the animal is so shy, and because even when 

 hit mortally it will often get away. In the open 

 steppe a man cannot approach within 500 paces of 

 them, and if they are once startled you may say 

 twice that distance. Their careful avoidance of any 

 cover makes it next to impossible to stalk them in 

 the open plain. It is only in those parts of the 

 steppe that abound in hillocks that a man can get 

 within 300 yards, or sometimes, but rarely, within 

 200 yards, and even then he cannot be certain of his 

 quarry. Granted that at 200 yards, with a good 

 rifle, you are sure of your aim, on the other hand, 

 your bullet does not kill unless it chance to hit the 



