HOG-STICKING. 87 



a proceeding which each resented by howling in the 

 most discordant manner. 



I The red-skimmel (roan) mare, which I selected 

 r my riding, was fresh as paint, but well-mannered, 

 I felt reason to anticipate sport of the first water. 

 When we had gone half a mile, a halt was pro- 

 posed, to enable two of the Bakalihari to go forward 

 and reconnoitre. This was acceded to, and in ten 

 minutes they returned. Then followed a short 

 consultation, the result of which was that four of 

 the party were despatched to stop with brush some 

 earths known to exist in a neighbouring hollow, and 

 for which the game was expected to make. This 

 detachment was given about twenty minutes to per- 

 form their work, when the advance commenced. 

 My mare, evidently aware that something was on 

 the tapis, now became very fidgety, and evinced 

 strong anxiety to take the lead, but by a little 

 judicious handling of her mouth, and some soothing 

 language, I managed to keep her thirty or forty paces 



Rrear of the dusky natives. Every moment I 

 pected to get a view of the quarry, when, confound 

 it, with a rush like a hawk striking its prey, Arrack, 

 who had slipped his collar, passed me ; but this 

 was not all I had to complain of, for not very 

 far in rear I could hear the deep voice of Old Bull, 

 another hound that had done the same, bassly 

 proclaiming that he was running my spoor. Arrack 

 set the example of rushing in, the darkies ran after 



