126 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



that there are two distinct species of hyaenas 

 common to this part of the country. First, the 

 ordinary striped one, which is by far the most 

 numerous, and seldom exceeds twenty-four inches 

 in height at the shoulder ; the other is spotted, and 

 is not unfrequently a foot higher than the first 

 mentioned, but, fortunately, these formidable big 

 brutes are comparatively scarce. The former con- 

 fine their attentions to dead or severely wounded 

 animals, while the latter not seldom will attack 

 women, and often carry children away from the kraal 

 of their parents; they have even been known, 

 where they have, discovered hunters or travellers 

 lying asleep at night, to tear off the cheek of the 

 unsuspecting victim, and this is done so rapidly that 

 the disfigurement 'takes -place before the sleeper has 

 time to prevent it.. The enormously powerful jaws 

 of these animals enable them to break with ease the 

 largest bones of the quadrumana. 



Hav.irig, said .so much of them, I will mention the 

 incident, that, occurred which will give some idea of 

 the ferocity and strength of my gallant hound, Arack. 

 Towards sunset, I severely wounded a gemsbok, or 

 oryx. Being some distance from my camp, I re- 

 solved to delay its pursuit until the following morn- 

 ing. Accompanied by Arack, I started at sunrise, 

 but, as luck would have it, a steinbok sprang from 

 a bush almost at my feet, and the brave but dis- 

 obedient hound went in pursuit. To have shouted 



