The koodoo had been shot through the body, and 

 even without being run to death by Jock must have 

 died in the night, or have lain down and become too 

 cold and stiff to move. If not discovered by wild 

 animals there was a good chance of finding it un- 

 touched in the early morning ; but after sunrise 

 every minute's delay meant fresh risk from the aas- 

 vogels. There is very little which, if left uncovered, 

 will escape their eyes. You may leave your buck 

 for help to bring the meat in, certain from the most 

 careful scrutiny that there is not one of these creatures 

 in sight, and return in half an hour to find nothing 

 but a few bones, the horns and hoofs, a rag of skin, 

 and a group of disgusting gorged vultures squatting 

 on a patch of ground all smeared, torn and feather- 

 strewn from their voracious struggles. 



In the winter sky unrelieved by the least fleck of 

 cloud a dome of spotless polished steel nothing, 

 you would think, can move unseen. Yet they are 

 there. In the early morning, from their white- 

 splashed eeries on some distant mountain they slide 

 off like a launching ship into their sea of blue, and, 

 striking the currents of the upper air, sweep round and 

 upwards in immense circles, their huge motionless 

 wings carrying them higher and higher until they are 

 lost to human sight. Lie on your back in some dense 

 shade where no side-lights strike in, but where an 

 opening above forms a sort of natural telescope to the 

 sky, and you may see tiny specks where nothing could 

 be seen before. Take your field-glasses : the specks 

 are vultures circling up on high ! Look again, and 

 far, far above you will see still other specks ; and for 



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