118 TRAVELS IN THE EIGHTIES. 



well-known bull-frog, seated in the centre of a piece 

 of raw antelope hide, from which it was catching the 

 flies with wonderful speed and precision with its long 

 tongue, which it darted out with lightning rapidity. 

 It must have caught hundreds, for it appeared quite 

 distended. Perhaps the most wonderful fact in con- 

 nection with its performance was the manner in which 

 its back, which was yellow, was marked with black 

 by Nature in exact imitation of flies stationed on it, 

 and seemingly answering admirably to attract flies, 

 whether so intended by Nature or not. 



On my next expedition, a week later, to the same 

 spot, and with the same object, namely, trout fishing, 

 we were all Englishmen five of us. The fishing was 

 certainly not so successful, but I easily obtained the full 

 number of antelope heads I had decided on obtaining. 

 On the whole, we were fortunate with the horses, 

 though on one occasion one that was picketed broke 

 away during the night and made for " home," fol- 

 lowed by those which were hobbled. All were even- 

 tually recovered, excepting one, which turned up some 

 months later, near the very same spot. 



I had several exciting stalks after antelope; the 

 others thought fishing preferable. The only antelope 

 I wounded without securing was one which I followed 

 on horseback for over five miles. "While out of my 

 sight for a moment it seems to have lain down in the 

 place of another antelope, which I followed for some 

 distance before finding out my mistake. I must have 

 almost ridden over the original wounded one, which 



