chap. vi. LEOPARDS. 313 



some of the younger of them alone showing their appre- 

 ciation of the hot scent. As they reached the top of the 

 rise two of those which were leading singled themselves 

 out, and, as far as I could see, went off at a long slanting 

 angle to their former course, and in a few minutes a burst 

 of music announced that the pack, which had kept straight 

 on, had run from scent to view. 



In the meantime, my stalk being spoilt, I had got up, 

 and was looking in their direction hoping to see something 

 of the run, when I noticed the old bull, having made a 

 long circuit and probably turned by the couple that had 

 taken a line of their own, reappearing over a distant rise, 

 and heading directly towards me. There was an unusually 

 large ant-heap close by, and I went and stood on the top 

 of it, and could then see the pack running in full view 

 of their quarry, sweeping along in a compact body, well 

 together, and, having given vent to their feelings on 

 coming into view, now mute again. They seemed to be 

 gaining but slowly, and I thought the run likely to be a 

 long one, till I heard one or two of them speak, and then 

 saw one race forward, at a pace which showed how much 

 they were going within themselves, and push the antelope 

 for several hundred yards, finally dropping back to its 

 companions. 



They were now getting so near that I feared lest I 

 should be seen, and got down and concealed myself behind 

 the ant-heap, and in a few minutes the bull came up, now 

 only leading by a bare twenty yards, and showing by his 

 open and foam-covered mouth and heaving flanks that his 

 race was nearly run. As he passed by me I had a magni- 

 ficent view of the pack, now gaining at eveiy stride, but 

 still maintaining their order and monotonous pace. 



