kidneys, completely paralysing the hind quarters, and 

 she had instantly dropped out of sight in the grass. 

 The only warning I got was a furious snort, and the 

 black looking monster with great blazing blood-shot 

 eyes rose up on its front legs as I ran into it. 



To charge into a wounded wildebeeste ready to go for 

 you, just when your whole attention is concentrated 

 upon others two hundred yards beyond, is nearly as un- 

 pleasant as it is unexpected ; it becomes a question of 

 what will happen to you, rather than of what you will 

 do. That at any rate was my experience. The rifle, 

 if it had hindered me, also helped : held out at arms 

 length it struck the wildebeeste across the forehead 

 and the collision saved my chest from the horns. 

 There was an angry toss of the big head and the rifle 

 was twirled out of my hand, as one might flip a match 

 away. 



I do not know exactly what happened : the impres- 

 sion is of a breathless second's whirl and scramble, 

 and then finding myself standing untouched five yards 

 away, with the half-paralysed wilde- 

 beeste squatting like a dog and strug- 

 gling to drag the useless hind quarters 

 along in its furious efforts to 

 get at Jock who had already 

 intervened to help me. 



The rifle lay within the circle^ 

 of the big hooked horns ; and ^ 

 the squatting animal, making 

 a pivot of its hind quarters, 

 slewed round and round, 

 369 2 A 



