space on rising ground. Jock was already closing up, 

 but still unseen, and the noble old fellow turned full 

 broadside to me as he stopped to look back. Once 

 more I knelt, gripping hard and holding my breath 

 to snatch a moment's steadiness, and fired ; but I missed 

 Jagain, and as the bullet struck under him he plunged 

 forward and disappeared over the rise at the moment 

 that Jock, dashing out from the scrub, reached his heels. 

 The old Martini carbine had one bad fault ; even 

 I could not deny that ; years of rough and careless 

 treatment in all sorts of weather for it was only a 

 discarded old Mounted Police weapon had told on 

 it, and both in barrel and breech it was well pitted 

 with rust scars. One result of this was that it was 

 always jamming, and unless the cartridges were kept 

 well greased the empty shells would stick and the 

 ejector fail to work ; and this was almost sure to happen 

 when the carbine became hot from quick firing. It 

 jammed now, and fearing to lose sight of the chase 

 I dared not stop a second, but ran on, struggling from 

 time to time to wrench the breach open. 



Reaching the place where they had disap- 

 peared, I saw with intense relief and excite- 

 ment Jock and the koodoo having it out less than a 

 hundred yards away. The koodoo's leg was broken right 

 up in the ham, and it was a terrible handicap for an 

 animal so big and heavy, but his nimbleness and quick- 

 ness were astonishing. Using the sound hind-leg as 

 a pivot he swung round, always facing his enemy; 

 Jock was in and out, here, there and everywhere, 

 as a buzzing fly torments one on a hot day ; and 



184 



