204 CLAiy IN LIONS TAIL — HUNTING CHEETA. 



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its powers have already been taxed to the utter- 

 most. 



There is no doubt but that a fairly good horse, over 

 sound galloping ground, will run alongside a so-called 

 " hunting leopard " in an inconceivably short distance, 

 especially if you make the pace hot from the com- 

 mencement. Not so with the black buck ; its 

 infinitely superior staying powers usually make the 

 effort to overtake it an arduous one ; however, much 

 again here depends upon the suitability of the ground 

 over which such a task is tried. 



Well-bred, powerfully-built, upstanding grey- 

 hounds would have no difficulty in bringing to bay 

 a chceta, even if it had two hundred yards start ; 

 but with this amount of law granted — and it is almost 

 impo-tsible to obtain so little — a black buck would 

 probably give his pursuers more than they could 

 accomplish. The reason is this, the greyhounds 

 make running from score, the black buck makes 

 a waiting race for two hundred and fifty or three 

 hundred yards ; thus, when about five hundred yards 

 are traversed, the dogs are nearly pumped, while the 

 game is as fresh and capable as it was at starting. 



The same I discovered with spring buck coursing 

 in Africa. If by chance you get within fifty yards 

 of this beautiful game before slipping the greyhounds, 

 the course is certain to terminate in a kill, but double 

 the start and t\\G finale is different. 



The greyhounds accustomed early to this sport 

 learn their incompetency to overtake spring buck 

 under certain circumstances, so very soon adopt the 

 method of " running cunning." My imported animals, 

 after a few failures, took to the same evil ways with- 

 out education or example. Af^ter all, it was quite 

 pardonable on the immense flats of Orange Free 

 State and Griqua Land West, where the game is so 

 much harassed by travellers, traders, and transport 

 riders, that it will not permit a suspicious object to 



