344 LARGE GAME. chap. vh. 



My eyes were, however, fixed upon the river, for there, 

 on a small sand-bank, stood the two noble koodoo bulls at 

 bay. Two or three dogs had also gained a footing, and 

 made the air ring with their sharp barking, re-echoed back 

 again and again by the precipice on which I stood ; while 

 several more swam about trying to stem the current and 

 regain the ground which they had lost. One of the ante- 

 lopes stood with lowered head, and his long circling horns 

 pointing towards the dogs — a picture worthy of a Land- 

 seer, — and in his side I now saw that a spear was half- 

 buried ; the other, evidently unwounded, but unwilling 

 to leave its companion, remained motionless, his nostrils 

 thrown forward, as if to catch the first taint of the human 

 pursuers sure to follow in their dogs' wake, and his equally 

 magnificent horns resting almost on his haunches. Twenty 

 yards above them was the water-antelope, which had pro- 

 bably followed the others under the impression that it 

 was a ford, and was now unavailingly trying to scramble 

 up the perpendicular bank. 



I enjoyed the scene without moving for several minutes, 

 but as from my elevated position I could see down on to 

 the peninsula, I soon noticed several natives running to 

 the spot, guided by the yelping of their dogs, especially 

 of those that, not daring to enter the water, had remained 

 on the other side, and as I by no means relished the idea 

 of all these glorious horns falling into their hands (one 

 pair belonged to them already by the hunters' law of first 

 wound), and although I woidd willingly have let the ante- 

 lopes alone if no one else had been there, I at once made 

 the best of my way to the spot where they were at bay. 

 Just as the natives emerged from the bush I aimed at 



