The Tsessebe ip^ 



legs are drawn well up underneath them, and away they go, as smoothly 

 as a machine, covering mile after mile at an unbroken pace, till at the end 

 of six or seven miles the sportsman feels that his horse has had enough of 

 it, while the game is still going as fresh and as strong as ever. On foot I 

 think tsessebe are far easier to bring to bag, as one is content to take the 

 chance they will give of a steady standing shot at 180 or 200 yards. When 

 racing them on horseback a bullet fired over or in front of them will often 

 turn them and enable the rider to cut in, and frequently, if the leader be 

 dropped or turns out wounded, the others become demoralised and be- 

 wildered, and can be easily shot. I have usually found, however, that the 

 harder a man rides to them (and to other game as well), the harder they will 

 go, for they become thoroughly alarmed ; whereas, if not unduly pressed, 

 they often stand to look round, and thus give the sportsman a chance. Some- 

 times, however, tsessebe are very foolish, and I can well remember, after 

 having stalked a little herd of seven one evening, and dropping the bull 

 at about 160 yards, that the remainder scarcely moved ; I was thus enabled 

 to bring down two cows (the fattest I ever saw), the three lying within a 

 few yards of each other. Had I wanted more I could have easily killed the 

 remaining four, as they made no attempt to run away till I showed myself. 

 As an instance of their tenacity of life, I remember a friend (the late Mr. J. 

 W. Glynn) and myself firing at a bull, and putting six bullets behind the 

 shoulder within an area which we covered with the brim of a terai hat, yet 

 he ran three miles afterwards before we recovered him. We were using 

 ordinary Martini-Henry bullets, which are unsuitable for these antelopes. 

 A Lee-Metford or any good .450 rifle is the best weapon to use. Ex- 

 panding bullets alone are recommended ; the solid long-range bullet is quite 



ineffectual, particularly if one is on foot. 



F. Vaughan Kirby. 



