254 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
like clogs at full length upon the ground, all was 
perfectly still until an hour before daybreak, when the 
beasts of prey appeared to hold a gala meeting, for the 
noise at times was deafening, but then again every¬ 
thing was hushed, and it seemed as if all life were 
extinct. 
I had just roused myself from my morning dreams, 
the birds were chirping in the bushes, and it was 
already quite light enough for shooting, when I 
suddenly felt a very light touch on my shoulder, and 
saw the old Bushman Kamarana crouchino; on the 
ground like a panther about to spring, and drawing my 
attention to the bank of the stream behind us. My 
double-barrelled gun was in my hand in an instant, 
and 1 crawled up the bank with him. Arrived there, 
he held me firmly and pointed to a bush ; as he was 
in a great state of excitement, I thought he must have 
seen some large beast of prey creep behind it, and I 
peered about with my eyes close to the ground, but 
could discover nothing, although the man still con¬ 
tinued to point in the same direction. But now, 
looking a little higher, I suddenly saw the object of 
his attention, for three large bastard elands with 
mighty horns were standing scarcely thirty-five paces 
from us, listening and moving their long donkey-like 
ears backwards and forwards. Another moment, and 
they will be off! Stealthily I took aim, and fired both 
barrels in rapid succession, and the animal immediately 
opposite to me stood still for a moment, and then fell 
down dead. The distance had been so short that the 
pointed bullet had passed right through the poor 
animal, piercing the heart, and death must have been 
instantaneous. A second antelope was wounded, and 
as soon as my big greyhound Jack heard the shots, he 
started in pursuit. 
To this day I cannot imagine how the old Bushman 
got an inkling of the arrival of the game, for from our 
position it was impossible to see anything on the other 
side of the steep bank. He gave me to understand, by 
pointing to his ear again and again, that he had heard 
