indeed, to the koodoo just then he was the fly and 

 nothing more; he could only annoy his big enemy, 

 and was playing with his life to do it. Sometimes 

 he tried to get round ; sometimes pretended to - 

 charge straight in, stopping himself with all four feet 

 spread just out of reach; then like a red streak he 

 would fly through the air with a snap for the koodoo's 

 nose. It was a fight for life and a grand sight ; for 

 the koodoo, in spite of his wound, easily held his own. 

 No doubt he had fought out many a life and death 

 struggle to win and hold his place as lord of the herd 

 and knew every trick of attack and defence. Maybe 

 too he was blazing with anger and contempt for this 

 persistent little gad-fly that worried him so and kept 

 out of reach. Sometimes he snorted and feinted 

 to charge ; at other times backed slowly, giving way 

 to draw the enemy on ; then with a sudden lunge the 

 great horns swished like a scythe with a tremendous 

 reach out, easily covering the spot where Jock had 

 been a fraction of a second before. There were 

 pauses too in which he watched his tormentor steadily, 

 with occasional impatient shakes of the head, or, 

 raising it to full height, towered up a monument 

 of splendid and contemptuous indifference, looking 

 about with big angry but unfrightened eyes for the 

 herd his herd that had deserted him ; or with a 

 slight toss of his head he would walk limpingly forward, 

 forcing the ignored Jock before him ; then, inter- 

 rupted and annoyed by a flying snap at his nose, he 

 would spring forward and strike with the sharp cloven 

 fore-foot zip-zip-zip at Jock as he landed. Any 

 185 



