302 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



faction of seeing the cheetahs still in the same place, and gained 

 the boulders without any difficulty. My gun-bearer and I then 

 took up our position under a small thorn-tree, which was 

 growing in a crevice of the largest boulder. As this afforded 

 us a certain amount of shade, we awaited events there, hoping 

 that the cheetahs would come in our direction when it became 

 too hot for them in the open. In about half an hour, during 

 which time they still continued to play and roll about, I noticed 

 that their attitude suddenly changed. All four stood up and 

 gazed fixedly in my direction, and I feared that an eddy in 

 the wind had caused them to scent us ; but on having a look at 

 them with my binoculars I was delighted to see that they were 

 not looking directly at me, but rather to the left of me, and on 

 turning my head I saw a steinbuck quietly feeding some 150 

 yards off to my left, on the same level as myself. I then turned 

 my attention to the cheetahs, which for a short time stood all 

 together, and I concluded, from the difference in their size, that 

 there was one male and three females. Only two of them, 

 however, took up the hunt, the male and a female. These 

 advanced by short rushes, and not by a stealthy crawl like a 

 couple of lions which I saw stalking some elands, described else- 

 where, neither did they both advance at the same time ; the 

 male always took the lead, and after each rush, in a crouch- 

 ing position, squatted down and waited until the female saw 

 her opportunity to get up level with him. In this manner they 

 approached within 160 yards of the steinbuck (it struck me 

 they could have easily got considerably nearer) when they both 

 ran in, and were within 100 yards before the little buck looked 

 up, and, seeing them coming, without the slightest hesitation 

 bolted straight uphill as hard as it could go. The cheetahs, 

 however, were more than a match for it in pace. As they laid 

 themselves out flat to the ground they gained at each stride, 

 and I expected every second to see the male, which was leading 

 by some few yards, run into the buck ; but when only about 

 ten yards off the plucky little buck doubled sharp to the left, 

 throwing off its pursuer, which immediately gave up the chase. 



