THE BLAZE-BOK. 177 



shot : it seemed awkward in its shuffling gallop, 

 from the shortness of its hind legs, but nevertheless 

 got over the ground on reaching the plain with con- 

 siderable celerity. We fired after it several times, and 

 the farmer thought it was wounded, as it kept stopping 

 and turning round : but on perceiving that we con- 

 tinued to follow, it darted forward again with renewed 

 speed, leaving us, although on horseback, far in the 

 distance, until we at length gave up the chase. 



We returned from a plain literally covered with 

 wild animals, having only shot two spring-boks and 

 a paauw. Among a herd of spring-boks which we 

 noticed, the farmer pointed out one of the species 

 called the bless, or blaze-bok ; a description of ante- 

 lope which, from having once been numerous, is now 

 becoming exceedingly scarce, and only found in the 

 remote districts, unless the bonte-bok, A. pygarga 

 of Pallas, still found in the vicinity of Zwel- 

 lendam, should prove to be the same animal, and 

 against the shooting of which a prohibition has been 

 issued, in order to prevent the total extinction of the 

 species. On our way homewards we came upon a 

 solitary male gnu, that stood switching its long tail 

 and gazing at us from a distance of about two hun- 

 dred yards, when a farmer who had joined us, and 

 who was considered the best shot, alighted from his 

 horse, and resting his roer on an ant-hill to take a 

 steady aim, fired ; but the ball passed between the 



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