A Breath from the Veldt 57 



was to get, they took to their wings in search of fresh fields and pastures 

 new. 



In the afternoon of April 20 we crossed the highest point of the veldt, and 

 descended to the farm of Mr. William Bossoph, a brother-in-law of " Teenie's," 

 who with his family gave us a hearty welcome, and entertained us most 

 hospitably after the fashion of his country. A big man is Mr. Bossoph, over 

 six feet in height, and somewhat slow and ponderous, as becomes the typical 

 Dutchman ; silent and good-natured withal, and a keen disciple of gun and 

 rifle. He was about to try for some khoorhans, he said, in his shooting-cart ; 

 and being anxious to see this form of cart-shooting, I gladly accepted his kind 

 oflfer of a seat. We therefore set off together, starting at a trot round the low 

 hills in search of blue khoorhans, here carefully watched by two Kaffirs in 

 mine host's employ, and no outside shooting being ever allowed. One of his 

 black gamekeepers, whom we presently came across herding a flock of fine 

 German sheep, said he had not seen any khoorhans that day, but a little later 

 our eyes were gladdened with the sight of a troop of fifteen right in front of 

 us. After some circuitous manoeuvring we got within about thirty-five yards 

 of them, when I jumped off^ the cart as it trotted along, and got two shots as 

 the birds rose, missing the first bird clean, but killing the second, a fine old 

 cock. 



Shortly after this we came on another troop of blue khoorhans, and again 

 Mr. Bossoph manoeuvred his cart right skilfully, driving round and round 

 the birds till we came within thirty yards of them, and by running in I 

 shortened the distance by another ten before they rose ; and was rewarded 

 with a brace. My comrade was delighted ; charmed, too, with the superiority 

 of my gun and ammunition to the old twelve -bore with a big gas-escape 

 and bad cartridges, to which he was accustomed. So presently, when we 

 sighted a large bird on one of his rises, I lent him my gun and took the 

 reins. Under his direction I worked the horses nearer and nearer to our 

 quarry, which proved to be a fine old Stanley bustard of the male persuasion. 

 These bustards are as a rule rather bad to get at ; but, owing to the abundant 

 supply of locusts and the fact that the ground had been long undisturbed, the 

 bird before us was unusually tame. At the sound of our wheels he stopped 

 feeding and looked quietly over his shoulder, as with ostrich -like gait he 

 stalked slowly away. Then, getting within thirty yards of him, and not 

 daring to approach another inch nearer, Mr. Bossoph descended from the 

 cart and fired two barrels, but, alas ! in vain. Stretching his beautifully pied 



I 



