2l6 



A Breath from the Veldt 



pursuit of the retreating herd, keeping well in view the brown pillar of dust 

 that followed in their wake. 



Now, hunting through thick wait-a-bit bush at a walking pace, and galloping 

 through it after a frightened herd of buffaloes, are two very different things, 

 as will presently appear. We had hardly got well started on our wild career 

 before Oom Roelef came to grief in much the same way as Absalom did upon 



A BUFFALO COW FALLING 



a notable occasion, a drooping sprig of wait-a-bit having caught him fairly by 

 the head, and nearly dragged him from his horse. The lobe of his right ear 

 was torn open and his face was covered with blood, which, coupled with his 

 great eyes and long hair, made the old boy look pretty wild. By and by my 

 homespun coat and I begun to part company in small detachments, and I 

 began to fear we should never get a chance at our game unless the country 

 before us was very different from that we were now passing through ; for. 



