332 MANNER OF SPORTING. 



we came nearer, they trotted away for a short dis- 

 tance, turned about, formed front, in an irregular 

 line, and then made up their minds either to con- 

 tinue their flight, or recommence their meal. 



I noticed that the buck was solitary, living apart 

 from the herd ; but wherever we did see one of these 

 gentlemen, we were pretty sure of finding his 

 harem on the other side of the ridge, or at some 

 short distance beyond, on the plain. All were far 

 too shy for me to think of following them with my 

 short carabine, so that my sporting on the road 

 now was confined to shooting the tall-stalking bus- 

 tards, or the tantalizing florican that, dropping a few 

 yards after I had started them, would run in quite 

 a different direction to what was expected ; then, if 

 flushed again, would fly up a short distance to drop 

 again and take another dodging run, and when I was 

 quite sure they were before me in the grass, would 

 be started a long distance on one side, or even some- 

 times behind me, by others of my companions. 

 Something more than ubiquity is required, following 

 up these birds, with Dankalli beaters to assist the 

 sportsman, for when half a dozen are calling several 

 ways to come to their particular spots, it is a difficult 

 thing for him to please all, or to prove that the 

 bird would not have been there, had he gone to 

 every other place but the one he did. 



After a march of four hours, we arrived at a fair 

 open spot, where water, in many little pools, lodged 

 amidst groves of sweetly-scented henna trees, and the 



