chap. vii. HUNTING WITH DOGS. 3U 



the hunt was over we remounted and started back. The 

 ground at first was so densely wooded that we were forced 

 to walk our horses, but the moment it became more open 

 we rode as hard as we could, as there was a heavy thunder- 

 storm gathering, and we feared lest it should break before 

 we could reach our destination. As we topped the second 

 rise we suddenly came upon a koodoo bull looking up in 

 surprise at the sound of our horses' hoofs, which he had 

 no doubt mistaken for those of a herd of zebra. Usibepe 

 instantly tore after it at a mad gallop, firing as he went, 

 while I, restraining my horse, who wanted to race, lay back 

 out of reach of the flying pebbles. The koodoo headed 

 direct for the kraal which we were going to, and did not 

 gain very much, but the Prince's weight soon began to tell, 

 and he had to drop his gun and use the little rhinoceros- 

 hide whip which hung from his wrist to enable him to keep 

 in front of me. Even this did not avail for long, and I 

 passed him without in any way increasing my pace, which, 

 as the ground was much broken, I did not yet attempt to 

 do. The Prince, who, like all the great chiefs, possessed 

 a capital breech-loader, resumed its use as soon as he saw 

 that he could not catch the antelope by sheer speed, and 

 his bullets came whistling past my ears in veiy unpleasant 

 proximity, until, as we dropped down on to a level bottom 

 and increased our pace, he fell too far behind and gave it 

 up. When we got on to the level I was about ninety 

 yards behind, and feeling that now was the time to make 

 a push, I urged my horse to its utmost, and soon found 

 that I was gaining rapidly ; indeed, within ten minutes I 

 had so far lessened the distance that I might have made 

 pretty sure work with my gun, but finding that my horse 



