HIDE AND SEEK. 131 



cantering. There was a little opening between two hills, 

 and for this the hartebeest appeared to be steering ; 

 making a grand push, I passed a little ahead of them, and, 

 jumping off, got a double shot at the string as they dashed 

 past. I saw that the result was a hind-leg of a fine bull- 

 hartebeest broken. He went gallantly away on three legs, 

 but I certainly did not doubt but that I should be more 

 than a match for him with the horse's four. I lost a 

 little ground by dismounting, and before I had loaded 

 again, the herd had passed out of sight over some rising 

 ground. 



Upon again viewing the hartebeest, I was alarmed at 

 the start they had obtained ; they were mere specks in the 

 distance. Feeling great confidence in the gameness of 

 my well-conditioned, hardy little nag, I let him go over 

 the green springy turf, and soon found that the distance 

 between us and the hartebeest was diminishing. Seeing 

 my horse's ears suddenly elevated, I looked round on each 

 side, and saw my three-legged hartebeest galloping away 

 behind, and nearly close to me ; he had been lying down 

 amongst some stones, and had allowed me to pass without 

 moving. I turned after him, my horse seeming as anxious 

 in the chase as a hound. When an animal is badly 

 wounded, he usually separates himself from the remainder 

 of the herd, as though they no longer had any sympathy 

 with him, and he then seeks in solitude to brood over his 

 sufferings, unwatched by the eyes of his fellows. I in- 

 tended to save my ammunition until I got a fair chance 

 of a dead shot, but after a stern-chase of more than four 

 miles, I found that the loss of one leg did not much affect 



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