222 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



ed about for a second, and then, bounding forward about 

 sixty yards, halted, and looked back to see from ■whence 

 the deadly shaft had sped that had thus so unceremoni- 

 ously disturbed his morning meal. The sights of my 

 rifle were still fixed upon him, and just as he pulled 

 up and exposed to me his full broadside, a second bul- 

 let left the ringing steel, and crashed through the very 

 center of the old fellow's shoulders. 



On receiving this second shot, the sable antelope 

 wheeled about and held after the does, and I knew from 

 his movement, though his pace was good, that he had 

 got the ball in his shoulder and could not go very far. 

 I then walked leisurely back to seek my shoes and 

 shooting-belt, and, having found them, was loading my 

 rifle, when the Bushman, who had been watching my 

 stalk from the height above, joined me, and said that 

 the buck had run but a short distance, and had lain 

 down under a tree. I stole carefully forward, and im- 

 mediately observed him lying as if still alive, his noble 

 head not laid on the ground, but in an upright posture. 

 Fancying him still alive, and having too often been 

 tricked with wounded antelopes, I then gave him a 

 third bullet, but the dark form of this lovely habitant 

 of the mountain quailed not to the shot ; the spirit of 

 the sable antelope had fled. I was transported with 

 delight when I came up and saw the surpassing beauty 

 and magnificence of the invaluable trophy I had won. 

 This potaquaine was very old, and his horns were enor- 

 mous, fair set, perfect, and exquisitely beautiful. I cut 

 off his head, and, leaving men to convey the flesh to 

 camp, held thither in advance, escorting my hard-won 

 trophy. On my way to camp, coming down the foot- 

 path from the fountain, to my dejectment I found the 

 untamable Mazeppa stretched to rise no more, and" half 



