104 



ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



vultures, we covered her with my after-rider's saddle- 

 cloth, which consisted of a large blanket : the head, on 

 which I placed great value, wa cut off and bore along 

 with us. 



On my way home I came across Paterson's after- 

 rider, " jaging" a troop of seven gcmsbok, but fearfully 

 to leeward, his illustrious master being nowhere in sight. 

 An hour after I reached the camp Paterson came in, 

 in a towering rage, having been imlucky in both his 

 chases. I now dispatched one of my wagons to bring 

 home my oryx. It returned about twelve o'clock that 

 night, carrying the skin of my gemsbok and also a mag- 

 nificent old blue wildebeest (the brindled gnoo), which 

 the Hottentots had obtained in an extraordinary man- 

 ner. He was found with one of his fore legs caught 

 over his horn, so that he could not run, and they ham- 

 strung him and out his throat. Ho had probably man- 

 aged to get himself into this awkward attitude while 

 Sghting with some of his fellows. The vultures had 

 sonsumed all the flesh of the gemsbok, and likewise 

 torn my blanket with which I had covered her. 



On the following day, all our steeds being very much 

 done up, Paterson and I visited the neighboring Boers 

 to endeavor to buy and hire some horses. I bought 

 one clipper of Mynheer Gous for ^25, and called him 

 " Grouse," and Paterson succeeded in hiring one, and 

 with these, on the following day, we continued our 

 campaign against the gemsboks. Paterson's after-rider 

 not being well up to his work, I lent him Cobus, and 

 on this occasion his perseverance was rewarded by a 

 noble gemsbok, which he rode down and slew, and also 

 a fine bull blue wildebeest, which last animal is rather 

 rare in these parts. We had one more day together, 

 after which, much to my regret, Paterson was obligeid 



