chap. viii. ANECDOTES OF ANTELOPES. 401 



It was no good, however, though, as the hole was shallow, 

 the atmosphere inside must have been something awful, 

 and I distinctly heard the beast choking once or twice. 

 On seeing that it would not bolt I sent off the Kaffir who 

 was with me to the waggon for another man and two 

 spades, and after clearing the entrance to the hole, I sat 

 down out of sight myself, hoping that it might bolt when 

 everything was quiet ; but before the Kaffir had been long 

 gone I heard it commence scraping instead, evidently 

 preferring to go further in than to risk coming out, and for 

 the two hours during which I had to wait the sound 

 never ceased. As soon as the men came with spades I 

 started them to work, but after half an hour we saw that 

 unless we hit upon some better plan than digging behind 

 it it would be dark before we overtook it, if, indeed, we 

 did so at all ; so, after listening carefully to hear where 

 it was at work, I made the men sink a perpendicular shaft 

 about a yard in front, and after an hour's work the 

 animal, hearing the spades within a few inches of its 

 nose, turned round and at last came out, when I shot it. 

 A most curious animal it looked as it lay dead, with its 

 long thin tongue protruding from the toothless jaws, its 

 bat-like ears, and its pig-like skin, which is so thick that 

 shot will hardly penetrate it, covered with a few bristles. 

 Its tail was a short flat hairless stump, and its tremend- 

 ous claws set on limbs which were a mass of muscle, 

 seemed as if they would be, as report stated they were, 

 dangerous weapons to encounter at close quarters. I 

 tasted its flesh, but it was strong-smelling and as tough as 

 leather, and it is only its skin that is of any value, being, 

 when properly dressed, superior to the best pig-skin. 



2 c 



