THE NAEBADA VALLEY. 61 



crawl, ventre d terre. I soon found out his usual feeding and 

 drinking places ; and observed that to reach the latter he 

 almost daily crossed a deepish dry nullah about the same 

 place. This struck me as affording the means of circumvent- 

 ing him, so I took up my position in the nullah ; but as luck 

 would have it my buck took his water in some other direction 

 for the next two days. Many other herds of antelope con- 

 stantly passed within easy shot of where I was ensconced ; but 

 not until I was almost giving up hope on the third day, and 

 was taking a last sweep of the plain with my binocular, did 

 the well-known form of the master buck greet my vision, as 

 he slowly wound his way with his two inseparable companions 

 towards the pool to which he had watched so many of his 

 species passing and re-passing in safety. 



" The wind was favourable, and the buck came steadily on 

 till he arrived within a long rifle shot of. where I was posted. 

 Here he suddenly threw up his head, and, after standing at 

 gaze for a few moments, turned sharp to the left and started 

 off at a canter for a pass in the nullah, about a quarter of a 

 mile from where I was ; I knew he could neither have seen nor 

 smelt me, and was at a loss to account for his sudden panic 

 till, on turning round in disgust, there was the cause behind 

 me, in the shape of a small parcel of does, which had 

 evidently been returning from the water, but, having dis- 

 covered my unprotected rear, were now pulled up in a body, 

 and staring at me with an air which had telegraphed the state 

 of affairs to the old buck in an unmistakable manner. I felt 

 very much inclined to sacrifice one of the inquisitive does to 

 my just wrath, but preferred the chance of a running shot at 

 the buck ; so off I started at a crouching run (somewhat try- 

 ing to the small of the back) up the bed of the nullah, in 

 the hopes that the buck might have pulled up ere he crossed, 



