254 ^ Breath from the Veldt 



it of course bounded away, but a shot in the haunch, followed by another in the 

 neck, put an end to its career. It was my koodoo — the koodoo of the splendid 

 horns — and an additional gratification it was to notice that had my first shot 

 (which had taken him through the brisket) been 2 inches lower, the beast 

 would have got clean away. Here was luck indeed — the most lucky day of all 

 my trip. Had I been hunting in Africa for many years I should probably 

 never have got a finer koodoo than this, so I was more than pleased with my 

 good fortune. 



The measurements of the head are as follows : — straight line, 46 inches ; 

 round the curve, 58 ; circumference, ii| ; tip to tip, 39. 



Van Staden said that many years ago in the Transvaal he had killed a finer 

 head than this, measuring 4 feet from point to base ; and in Cape Colony there 

 are doubtless several heads that would tape this measure, but in this country 

 we have not yet seen a 48-inch head. The largest known here is the one killed 

 by Selous, of which a good picture is given in his last book by Mr. George 

 Lodge. Another magnificent head is at present hung up in the Sports Club, 

 having been lent by Captain Gibbons ; and the record head, of which I give a 

 photo, is probably the finest in existence. 



The long tramp and excitement had made us both tired, hungry, and thirsty, 

 and Van Staden, being far from well, had to stop frequently and lie down. He 

 turned so deadly white that I feared he was in for an attack of fever, so we 

 decided to lie by, and cook some of the koodoo meat. 



After this I returned with Prince and Clas to the pan to examine the spoor 

 of the various animals, and by and by Clas pointed out some great indentations 

 in the ground, which he said were those of " Chukudu " (white rhinoceros). 

 The footprints were more than a month old, but I have no doubt that they 

 were the spoor of the animal he mentioned. He said there was no farther pan 

 in this little Thirstland except one about five miles still farther to the south, 

 and that that generally dried up in July, before the one we were examining, 

 so the rhinoceri which still existed here must drink in some unknown pools, all 

 south-east of the Lundi and Sabi. It was a hard tramp we had home that night, 

 as I would not risk leaving the koodoo's head in the Veldt till the morrow, so 

 Clas and Prince alternately carried it. I should have been sorry to tackle it by 

 myself; but it is wonderful what a native, with far less physical strength than a 

 white man, can carry. Here was this slim boy, Clas, stepping out in front 

 with the great koodoo head as if he rather liked the job than not. Prince, who 

 offered to skin the head, quite spoilt the skin and skull by chopping it out after 



