xiv SPEED & ENDURANCE OF ANTELOPES 257 



spicuous at any distance over four hundred yards, 

 and the presence of these animals is often first 

 betrayed by the sun glinting on their long black 

 horns. The sight of the gemsbuck is very keen, 

 and the Bushmen say that, like the ostrich, he trusts 

 more to this sense for his safety than to scent, 

 which is no doubt the case as long as he is in 

 country of an open character. There is no more 

 splendid sight than that of a herd of gemsbucks 

 galloping over the arid wastes of their desert home ; 

 for, owing to the fact that the cows have longer 

 horns than the bulls, every individual member of 

 the herd looks as if it carried a head worth winning. 

 They run at a steadier pace than any other animal 

 with which I am acquainted, holding their heads 

 rather low, so that their long black horns stand well 

 up, only slanting slightly backwards. As they 

 gallop, their long bushy black tails almost sweep 

 the ground, as they swing from side to side. 



In comparing the speed and endurance of 

 various species of South African antelopes, it is 

 first of all necessary to eliminate all cows heavy 

 with calf, as these are so heavily handicapped that 

 they do not afford any criterion of the real powers, 

 under ordinary circumstances, of the species to 

 which they belong. Every one who has ridden 

 after sable and roan antelopes in August or 

 September knows how easy it is at that time of 

 year to bring the heavier cows to a standstill, but 

 I have never yet been able to gallop down a bull of 

 either species, though I have had many a good try. 



The gemsbuck is often spoken of as the fleetest 

 and most enduring of all the South African antelopes. 

 My own experience is not sufficient to justify me in 

 dogmatising on this subject, but all those I have 

 shot I have galloped after, and I have also had a 

 considerable experience in riding after most other 

 South African antelopes ; and my verdict is, that 



s 



