xvin GALLANT-LOOKING OLD STALLION 305 



they frequent, and often allow a very near approach. 

 The denizens of the open plains blue wildebeests, 

 tsessebes, Lichtenstein's hartebeests were wilder 

 and more wary than the buffaloes and bushbucks, 

 but still tame compared with their much-hunted 

 relatives in other parts of South Africa; whilst water- 

 bucks, reedbucks, oribis, and zebras (Burchell's) 

 were all very tame and confiding, and the latter, if 

 they did not get one's wind, very inquisitive, as 

 I have found them to be in other unfrequented 

 districts. 



One day I was resting with my native attendants 

 and taking a midday meal on one of the large ant- 

 heaps with which many parts of South-East Africa 

 are studded, when a herd of perhaps a hundred 

 zebras came up over the open plain to see what was 

 going on. Led by a gallant-looking old stallion, 

 the whole troop advanced slowly to within about a 

 hundred yards of where I and my boys were sitting. 

 Then they halted, and for a long time all stood quite 

 still with ears pricked and eyes turned towards us. 

 After a time the leader came walking slowly forward, 

 and was soon followed by a few other adventurous 

 spirits, the mass of the herd remaining where they 

 were. I was myself so absorbed in watching this 

 novel and interesting sight that I did not observe 

 that one of my Kafirs (who took no interest in any- 

 thing but dead zebras) had stood up behind me, 

 until I saw the most venturesome of our visitors turn 

 round and trot back to their companions. I then 

 told all my boys to sit down and keep quite quiet ; 

 but although the old stallion and a few of the bolder 

 spirits amongst his followers came forward again, 

 they would not approach nearer than about seventy 

 yards from us, the whole troop moving up slowly 

 behind them. 



I suppose I must have sat watching these beautiful 

 animals for upwards of an hour, and they did not 



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