The Blue Wildebeest 



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animals to bag. With such fleet and enduring animals it is useless to 

 attempt to run them down in a severe tail-on-end chase, in which the 

 hunting pony is certain to get the worst of it. If it were not for one 

 or two rather stupid habits of these animals, it would, indeed, be often a 

 difficult matter to circumvent them. But even on a wide, open plain the 

 mounted man can, if the wildebeest have not gained too great a start, 

 easily turn them from their course by sending a bullet over their heads. 

 So soon as the missile strikes up the sand in front of them, the leaders of 

 the troop wheel round and often head in a nearly contrary direction, thus 

 affording the hunter a fair chance. I have turned a large troop in this 

 way two or three times in a single early morning run, even when they 

 were nearing the bush for which they were heading, and have thus been 

 enabled to obtain a fair shot and bring down the head of game I wanted. 

 In country where a certain amount of shooting goes on (and unfortunately 

 too many natives have guns nowadays, even in the most remote places), 

 blue wildebeest, if a river is near, usually drink during the night, cross the 

 plains at early morning, and feed on the far side near the bush in which 

 they take shelter when pursued or during the heat of the day. If the 

 hunter quits his waggon or camp very early, he will probably find the troop 

 feeding towards seven o'clock a.m. not far from the fringe of this bush. If, 

 on sighting the game with his glass, he takes a big sweep, he will most 

 probably be able to place himself and his after-rider between the still- 

 unsuspecting game and the line of bush. Then, showing himself, he will 

 find himself placed at a singular advantage. The wildebeest become flurried, 

 and at once make a dash for the nearest point of bush. They are inter- 

 cepted by one of the two mounted men and driven from their point. They 

 turn, race round in a semicircle, and try for another part of the bush. 

 Again they are headed off, and at length losing their heads, after dashing 

 hither and thither in a vain attempt to make good their point, and becom- 

 ing for the time completely out-manceuvred, they finally make good the 



