380 LARGE GAME. CHAP. VIII. 



colour is a dark reddish brown, often verging into black, 

 and with indistinct markings on the sides, haunches, and 

 legs ; it has a great deal of hair, and a considerable mane, 

 while the neck, which is thick out of all proportion, is 

 nearly bare. The last-mentioned peculiarity detracts 

 from the otherwise graceful outlines of its body, the more 

 so perhaps from its head being so finely shaped and small. 

 The horns are nearly straight, rough and ringed for about 

 three inches from their base, and then taper away, smooth 

 and polished, to an almost invisible point ; they vary from 

 nine inches to a foot long, and from the way in which 

 they are set on the skull, the immense strength in the 

 neck and shoulders of the animal, and their extreme 

 sharpness, form about as formidable weapons as could well 

 be imagined, especially as their owner is the most plucky 

 antelope, without exception or consideration of size, with 

 which I have become acquainted in Africa. I do not 

 think that in all my experience, and I dare say that I 

 have killed not far short of a hundred of them, I remem- 

 ber a single instance in which an nkonka has not tried 

 to charge when wounded and brought to bay, and no one, 

 even after a very moderate experience, would ever allow 

 any dog on which he placed any value to attack them. 



On one occasion I had a narrow escape from one at 

 which I had fired. I was out buck-shooting, having 

 with me about a dozen natives to act as beaters and one 

 hunter, and after unsuccessfully trying several places we 

 came to a large jungle known to contain all the different 

 species of bush buck, as well as an immense number of 

 baboons and monkeys, and, report said, probably truly, 

 one or two leopards. It was, however, far too extensive 



