1 68 DAYS AND NIGHTS BY THE DESERT. 



of feelings, parted with our good-tempered and too- 

 much-married acquaintance. 



As the day was still young, we determined to 

 separate and hunt till sunset. I chose the west- 

 ward, and as I was on the big bay horse, and he 

 was fresh, soon had several miles separating my- 

 self and my friend. 



It was one of those bracing days that at home 

 we often enjoy towards the end of spring, but too 

 seldom have in Africa, and I felt that indescribable 

 longing for some excitement and exercise that would 

 tax my utmost capacity of endurance. 



By this time I had reached the brow of a spur 

 leading from one of the hills, so I dismounted to 

 have a look over its crest, when my caution was 

 rewarded, much to my satisfaction, by a view of two 

 splendid bull gemsbok. These magnificent animals, 

 only inferior in beauty, in my opinion, to the koodoo, 

 were about two hundred and fifty yards off. The 

 wind perfectly suited me to stalk them ; but, unfor- 

 tunately, there was not as much cover between 

 me and them as would have hidden a partridge, 

 and the antelopes kept feeding up wind, thus in- 

 creasing the distance between us. No time was to 

 be lost if I desired to be successful, so I withdrew 

 the hollow bullets from my Express * and inserted 

 solid ones into its chambers. As the game had 



* A -450, made by Tolley, of Conduit Street ; a better weapon 

 than which I never owned. 



