52 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



I do not recollect ever bolting a jackal in this manner, 

 nor have I ever heard of a fox having been so started from its 

 earth in this country ; but the hint, if new, may be worthy of 

 the attention of foxhunters, and may secure a kill when blood 

 is wanted. 



In addition to foxes and jackals, we also fell in with 

 hares ; but we preferred going after these with beaters, in 

 the cooler days of the rainy season. We moved in line on 

 these occasions, carrying guns, with our horses led behind us, 

 and the dogs at intervals held in slips. Partridges, quail, and 

 florican, were tolerably numerous ; and if a hare got up in 

 rough ground unsuited for the dogs, his career was stopped 

 with a charge of No. 5, otherwise we jumped on our horses 

 and gave chase. We were annoyed sometimes by herds of 

 antelope ; they would lead the dogs a dance of miles, and by 

 the time we got them back they were generally quite ex- 

 hausted. They never seemed to grow wiser in this matter, but 

 having on one or two occasions killed fawns, never hesitated 

 in their hopeless attempts to run down full-grown antelope. 



One course was checked in a singular manner. The dogs, 

 four in number, were close round my horse, and sighting a 

 black buck they dashed after him. After going about 100 

 yards, I saw an unlucky fox jump up just in front of the lead- 

 ing dog. He whisked his tail and attempted to get under 

 weigh, but the dogs were on him like a railway engine, and 

 I saw him flung up and come down among the pack, who 

 made short work of him. The antelope was of course for- 

 gotten, and I congratulated myself on the turn of events. 

 Eunning loose, the dogs became very intelligent. At first 

 they would start off even after a hawk or other bird skimming 

 along the ground, but in this they soon learned wisdom, and 

 came to know what they ought to follow. 



