IO4 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



their sterns low. " Toho ! steady!" it looks like buck 

 by the way the dogs elevate their heads. You jump off 

 and insert buckshot cartridges instead of small shot. 

 " Hold up, good dog ! " and as you advance up jumps an 

 oribi, the most graceful of the antelope tribe. He moves 

 more lightly over the ground than any hare. His mode 

 of progression is by a couple of skips and then a bound 

 in the air. You aim at the back of his head and bowl 

 him over. He is of a red colour, with little straight horns, 

 and weighs perhaps forty or fifty pounds. 



You then come to a narrow vley or valley along 

 which runs a small burn fringed with long reeds and 

 coarse grass. Reed-buck or duiker may be expected 

 here. The duiker is a small blue-coloured buck, which 

 has no particular grace of movement, but he is a tough 

 fellow and will carry away a lot of shot. 



Presently you approach a likely looking spot ; there is 

 broom and bracken mingled with reeds and long grass. 

 " Hallo, the liver dog is drawing again. Steady ! " It 

 looks like reed-buck, so you dismount and change your 

 buckshot for charges of loupers. The dogs are very stiff 

 but carry their heads right up. There is a crash in cover, 

 as with a shrill, sharp whistle two beautiful reed-buck, 

 looking as big as donkeys, rush out, and with fairy-like 

 bounds go leaping up the slope of the valley, twitching 

 their large white tails, or rather scuts, as they do so. 

 Bang bang down come the pair of them. The buck 

 is still struggling and kicking. " A fine fellow ! He 

 must weigh 180 pounds. Bring up the shooting pony, 

 gralloch them, and strap them on." 



You now come to a marsh. Scape, scape ! up gets a 

 snipe, and down he comes to your shot. You walk the 

 marsh and get a few couple of them. 



