AN UNSUCCESSFUL CHASE. Ill 



Having fired, I resumed the chase, and, observing that 

 the finest bull of the first herd seemed distressed, I en- 

 deavored to cut him ofi" firom the herd, which I suc- 

 ceeded in doing, and, in the excitement of the moment, 

 determined to follow him as long as my horse could go. 

 Away and away we wildly flew, the oryx leading me 

 a cruel long chase due north, tail-on-end, from my wag- 

 ons, over a very heavy country, entirely undermined 

 by the endless burrows of the mouse-hunts. My poor 

 steed became at length completely knocked up, while 

 the oryx seemed to gain fresh speed, and increase the 

 distance between us. I felt that my horse could not 

 do it. One chance alone remained : there was still a 

 shot in my left barrel. I pulled up, and, vaulting from 

 my panting steed, with trembling hand and beating 

 heart I cocked my rifle and let fly at the round stern 

 of the retreating antelope. The ball passed within a 

 few inches of his ear, and raised the dust about fifty 

 yards in advance of him ; and I had the mortification 

 of having to content myself with watching his lessen- 

 ing form as he retreated across the boundless waste. 

 Faint and weary, and intensely mortified at the issue 

 of my_ long-continued chase, my lips cracking, and my 

 tongue and throat parched with raging thirst, I threw 

 my bridle on my arm, and led my weary steed home- 

 ward, and I inwardly wished that, instead of my being 

 a man of fourteen stone weight, nature had formed me 

 of the most Liliputian dimensions. I was now a fear- 

 ful long way from my camp ; hills that in the morning 

 were blue before me, were now equally blue far, far be- 

 hind me ; " Grouse" could scarcely walk along with 

 me, nor did he ever recover that morning's work. 



Upon my return I observed Jacob making for me, 

 leading a fresh horse, of which I stood not a little in 



