io DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



often, in spite of fresh priming and repeated ham- 

 mering of the flint, I have pulled the trigger several 

 times without the old piece exploding ; but game 

 was plentiful then, and had not been scared by 

 long-range shots being fired at it. 



"Well, I followed the cat's spoor from stone 

 to bush, and from stump to tree, as silently and 

 cautiously as if my life depended upon my success, 

 keeping my ears and eyes ever alert for the 

 slightest sound or movement. 



" It is my belief that there is nothing living that 

 can secrete itself or move so silently as a leopard, 

 if you except a snake. The wind, too, was in my 

 favour, although this is not so much to be wondered 

 at, for the flesh-eating beasts always hunt up it. 

 But for this instinct they would seldom be able to 

 provide themselves with a feed, for a bok can smell 

 them nearly half a mile off, if they are to windward, 

 and so well do all the cats know this, that they will 

 go round a mile or more to get the breeze in the 

 proper direction before attempting an approach to 

 their prey. The chase was a long one, and terribly 

 trying to my patience ; but, then, the reward was no 

 less than a trade bag of gunpowder, at that time a 

 small fortune to me. 



" In time the spoor left the flat veldt and led 

 into the rocky kloof adjoining, where tracking natu- 

 rally would be much more difficult and dangerous ; 

 but J was saved the greater part of this work rather 



