CHASE A WATER-BUCK. 113 



On the 17th I inspanned, and trekked a couple of 

 miles, when I found myself once more on the banks of 

 the Ngotwani, which, except at its source, was this 

 year generally dried up ; we, however, found a spot in 

 its gravelly bed where, by digging, we obtained suffi- 

 cient water for all. The natives in charge of the loose 

 cattle chose to remain behind all night, I having too 

 well supplied them with flesh. Though my remaining 

 stud of six horses and twelve trek-oxen were thus ab- 

 sent all night, I was not anxious about them, trusting 

 to the usual good herding of the natives. When, how- 

 ever, they came up after breakfast, they were minus 

 all the loose oxen, without being able to give any ac- 

 count of them, further than that they imagined that 

 they were with us : I accordingly dispatched two of 

 my men on horseback to take up their spoor. 



On the 18th I arose before it was clear, and rode up 

 the banks of the river with my dogs to seek for water- 

 buck, and presently arrived where another considerable 

 river's bed joins the Ngotwani. Near this spot I came 

 upon an old water-buck, the first I had ever seen. He 

 was standing among some young thorn-trees, within 

 sixty yards, and had his eye full upon me. Before I 

 could pull up my horse he was off" at a rapid pace, and 

 crossed the river's bed above me. I shouted to the dogs, 

 and fired a shot to encourage them ; they had a pretty 

 fair start, and in half a minute the buck disappeared 

 over a rooky ridge, with three or four of my best dogs 

 within thirty yards of his stern. I knew that he would 

 make for the nearest water ; accordingly, I kept my 

 eye down the river, and listened with an attentive ear 

 ior the baying of the dogs. Presently the noble buck 

 appeared ascending a rocky pyramidal hill down the 

 river side, with the agility of a chamois, and only one 



