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A Breath from the Veldt 



the wilds of South Africa, and I often used to admire his fine sense of reasoning 

 and observation. Patience and deliberation are the most essential requisites for 

 following a wild beast, dangerous or otherwise, and at this the old man was 

 really first-class. Though slow at times, he seldom made a mistake ; and some 

 of the most delightful recollections I have now of my companion are connected 

 with our wandering along, with senses highly strung and keenly alert, on the 

 trail of some denizen of the forest that had for the time escaped us. 



Another most essential feature is being able to see the game quickly. 

 Even a big beast like a koodoo bull is sometimes overlooked when the hunter 

 is brought to a standstill by the stems of a wait-a-bit. Everything in Africa 

 is, as a rule, flooded in such a blaze of sunlight that the sight must become 

 accustomed to the peculiar effects of light and shade before one can distinguish 

 at a distance not only form but tones of colour. The Almighty has blessed 

 me with extraordinarily good and quick sight, — I say it not with pride, but 

 with thankfulness, — and as I have hunted birds and beasts since my childhood, 

 I very soon got accustomed to picking up animals when standing in the bush 

 or open, so I had not this, one of the chief difficulties of the hunter, to contend 

 with. After a bit it became a sort of joke with myself and the Dutchmen, 

 for I easily surpassed them in this respect, though they had been at it all their 

 lives. "Jan sees all the game first," they would say, "and then loses it," 

 meaning of course that I could not spoor, supposing the animal to have been 

 wounded. 



What is in most cases a far less agreeable task — indeed real hard work — 

 is making careful drawings of animals after you have shot them. You come 

 into camp, say about eleven o'clock, have some breakfast, and then smoke 

 your pipe. The great heat of the day has now commenced, and as this was 

 the only time I could devote to artistic work, having to keep my journal at 

 night, I found it most disagreeable, especially the close anatomical drawing 

 of muscles, etc., when the skin is removed, and small details and peculiarities 

 of the various birds and animals, without a knowledge of which no artist can 

 hope to make even a moderate picture afterwards. The great heat of the sun 

 at mid-day renders the white man particularly lethargic ; a feeling of intense 

 dolce far niente steals over one, rendering all exertion distasteful ; and but for 

 the pleasure they give to others as well as oneself in after years when the wild 

 life has come to an end, no one could ever bring himself to paint them on 

 the spot. At home I always enjoy my drawing, except that it never satisfies 

 me, and one occasionally feels disposed to get up and dance all over such feeble 



