A Breath from the Veldt 151 



them with his horns resting almost on his back. For the moment I could 

 almost have thrown my rifle away with vexation at having fired at the cow, as 

 its single barrel was now empty ; but, joy of joys ! there occurred one of those 

 extraordinary pieces of good fortune which at one time or another falls to the 

 lot of every hunter if he perseveres long enough. A moment afterwards, as 

 the whole troop were leisurely disappearing over the brow on the broken 

 ground in front and I was about to turn round and jump on Jimmy to start in 

 pursuit, there was a sudden consternation amongst their ranks, and the whole 

 troop suddenly split up, flying with great bounds in every direction. I could 

 not understand this sudden terror, and had only just time to cram in another 

 cartridge and get ready, when the bull and a cow came dashing back through 

 the bush straight towards me. It all seemed like a dream for a moment — just 

 as I was lamenting my ill luck too ! For big animals, I never saw such activity 

 as these two bucks displayed ; though they saw me plainly, they were evidently 

 more terrified of some other object right in front of them. When within thirty 

 yards of me they bounded over bushes that I had never thought such large 

 animals capable of negotiating, and as the bull passed me within ten yards, I 

 put a bullet into him. The eff^ect of the shot, though taken rather far back 

 and too high, was instantaneous ; he gave up his life almost without a kick, 

 falling in a heap on his knees and rolling over dead. I need hardly say how 

 delighted I was at obtaining my coveted prize, and Oom, who was equally 

 pleased, could hardly drag me away from the carcase to look for the beast 

 which he himself had wounded. We found plenty of blood by following the 

 spoor through some dense wait-a-bit which played havoc with our clothes and 

 tempers, and presently came upon the dead body of a fine cow, which, much 

 to our surprise, proved to be mine instead of my companion's, by the small 

 bullet -hole through the neck. Now was the terror of the animals easily 

 explained : they had all been running away together when this cow, which 

 had evidently been leading, had fallen dead, and so frightened them all out of 

 their wits ; for if there is one thing more than another that startles wild 

 animals, it is to have their guide shot. It was then that the wary old bull, 

 who had evidently been in hiding till the last moment, came back and gave me 

 a chance such as hunters seldom obtain. He would doubtless have got off^ 

 scatheless but for my somewhat fluky shot at the cow. 



We now continued on the spoor of the troop, knowing full well that Oom's 

 cow could not possibly be far off^, for I had myself seen her floundering through 

 the bush after the retreating herd, and knew that she was about done for ; but 



