290 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFKICA. 



face, closely pursued by five of tbe dogs. He was mak- 

 ing for the water, where he would have bayed, but I 

 unluckily turned him. Owing to light rain which was 

 falling at the moment, I had unfortunately slipped jny 

 rifle into a water-proof holster, which prevented my 

 filing, and the buck held close past the wagons, where 

 more dogs joined in the chase. 



On reaching camp I inquired of the men if they had 

 seen the buck, and they answered Yes, but that he was 

 not wounded. This I fancied must be the case, and 

 that the dogs had followed the fresh buck j and as two 

 of them made their appearance, I thought that the af- 

 fair was at an end. In the mean time, however, Klein- 

 boy had seen the chase, and, hastily bridling a horse, 

 had followed. He now rode breathless to the wagons, 

 and reported that the buck was at bay beyond a low 

 ridge within half a mile of camp, and that he was kill- 

 ing the dogs right and left. Seizing my rifle, I mount- 

 ed a horse and followed after Kleinboy in the dark. 

 Presently I heard the music of my pack, and on com- 

 ing up I found the bastard gemsbok lying beaide a bush, 

 with the dogs barking round him. . Three dogs that had 

 followed me from camp, on seeing the buck lying, rush- 

 ed in upon him, when he struck furiously right and left, 

 and killed one dead on the spot, severely wounding the 

 other behind the shoulder ; these were Vitfoot and Ar- 

 gyll, two of my best dogs. Again he struck right and 

 left, and knocked over Wolf and Flam with amazing 

 violence, severely injuring their stomachs. He had 

 killed Bles, my stoutest and fiercest dog, before I came 

 up, the horn hei.ying entered his heart. It was a long 

 time before I could fire, for the night was dark, and 

 the buck lay on the ground, with the surviving dogs 

 still pressing close around him. At length he stood up. 



