130 THE BRINDLED GNU 



handsome phoenix palms. Here we came right 

 upon him. The hunter, a young and courageous 

 man, dashed past me, and attacked the animal 

 with his spear, but made a bad shot and missed, 

 whereupon the wildebeeste, uttering a succession 

 of sounds, between a snort and a grunt, turned 

 determinedly upon him. The native, in en- 

 deavouring to avoid the animal's rush, stumbled 

 heavily, and the pursuing beast was almost 

 upon him before I was enabled, by a hasty but 

 successful shot, to put an end to the incident 

 and to the wildebeeste also. On another occasion, 

 a wounded wildebeeste I was endeavouring to 

 photograph leaped to its feet and advanced upon 

 me with such an air of threatening resolution 

 that I precipitately abandoned my camera 

 and sought safety in the possession of my 

 rifle once more. But it is on approaching a 

 herd |of these animals that they resort to the 

 attitude of simulated fierceness to which I 

 referred at the commencement of my descrip- 

 tion. 



You may have made them out, for instance, 

 feeding upon open plain in the early morning, 

 or in some lovely forest clearing where approach 

 is merely a matter of care. You may have 

 reached a point where further concealment is 

 impossible or useless, and you have disclosed 

 your presence without more ado. For some 

 few seconds the astonished herd will regard you 

 en phalanx. Then one or other or several of 

 the front rank will snort loudly, nodding their 

 heads in an exasperated way, as a horse does 



