118 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



our way over different lines of country to the 

 common rendezvous. Just before sunset I saw, 

 with the aid of my binoculars, a large herd of 

 antelope, amongst whom a fine buck seemed to 

 hold command, and I could see him butt, and 

 drive off every now and then, any of the younger 

 bucks who seemed inclined to form a too intimate 

 acquaintance with the ladies of his harem. The 

 temptation was too great to resist, and though I 

 had several miles to go ere I reached my destina- 

 tion, and daylight was failing, the shot-gun was 

 exchanged for the rifle, and, ordering my syce 

 to follow with my horse and spear, I set out to 

 try and circumvent the herd. Stalking, in the 

 ordinary sense of the word, was out of the ques- 

 tion, for the ground at that season of the year 

 was bare and black, and without a vestige of 

 cover, and the only chance of approaching the 

 game was to stroll towards them in a careless 

 manner in the hope that they might mistake me, 

 wrapped in my horse rug, for an itinerant native, 

 and my horse for his baggage pony, or a bullock. 

 The antelope were feeding quietly amongst a few 

 scattered babool* bushes, and did not appear to 

 notice me till I got within four hundred yards ; 

 then one by one the does began to move off in a 

 nervous, suspicious manner. The herd was a 



* Acacia Arabica. 



