HANDSOME ANTELOPES. 169 



icreased its distance from me by some yards, I 

 >lved to put up the three hundred yards' sight 

 id aim low. Both beasts were facing about a 

 iree-quarter turn from me, so I selected the 

 trest, and aimed at the edge of the white and 

 lack line that indicates the commencement of the 

 :omach and termination of the ribs. With the 

 ;port the splendid beast fell, without a moment's 

 pain, for there was not a struggle after it toppled 

 over. Its companion turned round, and for some 

 seconds looked at the victim with surprise, then 

 continued feeding as if nothing had happened. 

 I can hear the feeling and kind-hearted reader ask 

 the question, " You were surely not cruel enough to 

 shoot it too ? '' Yes, I was. But I had an excuse 

 for so doing, if what I am going to say can be 

 accepted as such, viz. that I wanted both the horns 

 of these fast becoming rare animals, for I had 

 previously never seen finer ; and further, not a 

 particle of the meat would be wasted, seeing how 

 lany hangers-on were about my camp. Well, I 

 >k a careful sight for the top of the black mark 

 the thigh of the second beast, for the quarry was 

 [most broadside to me, and when I pressed the 

 trigger the beautiful creature sprung into the air, 

 pitched forward on its fore legs, fell, then recovered 

 itself, regained its feet, and took off across the veldt 

 at such a pace as made me feel very far from certain 

 that I should bag my game. Putting in fresh 



