i86 



A Breath from the Veldt 



was written the old man and I broke our vein of ill-luck, and were exceptionally 

 fortunate with the game for many days. Not to weary my readers, however, with 

 tales of slaughter that may seem to them unnecessary and therefore unwarranted, 

 I will only describe in detail the death of one of each of the species which we 

 secured. I say we because, although I did the shooting, the old man was 

 instrumental in bringing to bag at least half the animals, which I should 

 certainly have lost had it not been for his " veldt " knowledge and woodcraft. 

 Within a ride from the Nuanetsi is a pool where we intended to spend the 

 night before going on to the big river and establishing a standing camp. My 



r 



''•HA, VCl' '• 



.At/- f. - 



HEAD OF A ROAN ANTELOPE COW 

 Showing the peculiar shape of the ears in life, and the position of the white tufts of hair that stand out 



and cover the suborbital glands. 



companion and I were approaching this, riding across country under some low 

 hills where the country was somewhat park-like, when the movement of some 

 animal caught my eye, and looking round — for we had passed the spot — I saw 

 what I knew at once was a fine roan antelope jump up from beneath a bush 

 and canter slowly away. A shout from me caused Van Staden to turn round, 

 and we at once gave chase. The antelope, apparently not at all frightened, 

 went about 200 yards only before wheeling round in some thorns to gaze at us. 

 Large as is the body of this fine animal, I had great difficulty in making out 

 his shoulders clearly as he stood in the shade of the bushes. It was a fine old 

 cow with a fair head, and not more than fifty yards away when, jumping off 



