Antlers 



soon as I saw the animals — there were a few does 

 and a shootable buck — I noticed that between 

 them and myself, and only about 50 yards from 

 them, there was a deepish nullah. 



Retracing my steps I got into the nullah at 

 some distance above the antelope^ and then com- 

 menced a careful progression down it. 



We had had a couple of days' heavy rain, and 

 the nullah, usually dry at this season, contained 

 a considerable amount of water which gave me 

 some trouble. Things went well, however, and 

 on my journey I took several peeps over the 

 edge to see how I was getting on. At one of them 

 I spotted a fox approaching the nullah diagonally 

 in such a manner as to render it evident that it 

 would hit it off just above me. I at first thought 

 of lying low, or of turning back on my tracks for a 

 bit. Reconsidering matters, however, I thought it 

 possible that the animal, on seeing me, would slink 

 off rapidly down the nullah and disappear. 

 A jackal might. A fox, I think, usually would not. 



I therefore continued my course for a few yards, 

 and then again looked over the nullah edge right, 

 as luck would have it, into the face of the fox, he 

 being scarcely 15 yards away. 



There was a fringe of grass on the nullah bank 

 and I do not think that fox actually saw me, but he 

 smelt danger, and to my disgust started barking — 

 short, sharp, snappy barks, just like those of a 

 little pet lap-dog and as annoying. I had little 



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