THE GAME OF THE PLAINS 589 



and gravel formed a delightful setting to the picture. 

 In the very centre, away from any dangerous irregularities 

 of the ground, lazed a large herd of gazelle and ten wild- 

 asses. Most of the former were busy feeding, but the latter 

 had finished their breakfast, and were about to indulge 

 in a siesta. Some were already lying down, others were 

 enjoying a sand-bath, sending clouds of dust floating 

 away to leeward, while two by mutual consent were 

 nibbling shoulders. What a picture Mr. J. G. Millais 

 could have made out of that scene, with all its atmosphere 

 and movement ! 



They were all in an unstalkable position, but shortly 

 afterwards a slice of luck enabled me to shoot a gazelle 

 with a very fine pair of long, open-spread horns. He 

 was among a small herd of six, all males, and in what 

 they might justly have considered a perfectly safe 

 position. There was, however, just one large mound 

 between me and them. 



Having reached it in safety, I lay there watching 

 them and trying to imagine that they were nearer than 

 they looked ; the most optimistic estimation would not 

 make them less than four hundred yards off ; much too 

 far to make at all sure of hitting a small, indistinct beast 

 like a gazelle. But, as I lay and watched, they played 

 into my hands, for, strung out in single file, they began 

 to advance slowly almost straight towards my position. 

 By that time Carruthers had joined me, and, as they 

 approached, we criticized their horns, and decided that 

 the third in the line carried the best pair. Waiting till 

 he stopped for a moment to scratch his face with a hind- 

 foot, I fired at his shoulders. It was a bad shot, for 

 the bullet merely grazed a horn and inflicted a slight 

 flesh-wound on his back. He was, however, completely 



