132 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



was now banging from his mouth, and long streaks of 

 foam streamed back on his sides. Suddenly, on round- 

 ing a thorny bush, he pulled up in his career, and, 

 facing about, stood at bay. I sprang, breathless and 

 worn out, from my panting steed, and with a shaking 

 hand sent a bullet through his shoulder, when he fell 

 and breathed his last. 



This noble oryx carried the finest horns I had met 

 with, and I had, moreover, the satisfaction of knowing 

 that he was the finest in the herd. Having off-saddled 

 and knee-haltered my horse, I commenced cutting off 

 the head of the oryx, which I accomplished with some 

 trouble, the skin at the neck being an inch in thick- 

 ness. I then broke thorny bremohes from a neighbor- 

 ing mimosa, which I heaped over the carcass, to pro- 

 tect it from the vultures. This being accomplished, 1 

 returned to camp, carrying the head on the pommel of 

 the saddle before me, andrmy rifle over my shoulder. 

 On occasions like this, I have often felt that I should 

 have been the better for a third hand for the manage- 

 ment of my steed. At an early hour on the following 

 morning I left my wagons, accompanied by two after- 

 riders, to look for koodoos, and secure the skin of the 

 oryx of the preceding day. Contrary to my expecta- 

 tions, the hyaenas had not discovered him. The flesh, 

 however, owing to the heat of the weather, was un- 

 serviceable. I rode with my boys deployed into line 

 along the likely part of the old mimosa forest, hoping 

 to fall in with koodoos. Here I shot two fine old stein- 

 boks, with very good horns, and these I carefully pre- 

 served, for my collection. By firing I lost a chance of 

 koodoos, as I presently discovered fresh spoor of a troop 

 of these antelopes, which my shots had distutbed. 



Returning tovrard my wagons, I rode through a gorge 



