26 o 
A COLONY IN THE MAKING 
CHAP. 
former had a start of about 200 yards, but was pulled 
down in approximately half a mile. The length of 
this chase is far in advance of the average course of 
tame cheetahs in India. There 300 yards is an 
unusually long course, and after that, if unsuccessful, the 
pursuer will stop, retire in disgust, and sulk. Although 
we were not more than a hundred yards from the 
death-scene, it was difficult to see what had actually 
happened when the quarry was overtaken. All was 
over in a flash, but the impression of an upraised 
striking paw was left, perhaps wrongly, in my mind. 
Death was instantaneous, but although I skinned the 
victim, a fine male, I was unable to discover a single 
claw puncture ; nor, as far as one could tell, was the 
neck dislocated. This animal stands in grave danger 
of extermination in the Protectorate, and on a sports¬ 
man’s licence, at all events, might well be to a certain 
measure protected. A male cheetah varies in length 
from 7 feet to slightly more than 8 feet. 
The Buskbuck and Lesser Kudu are animals which 
provide pretty bush stalking and also furnish a really 
lovely trophy. The former is better known to farmers, 
since he is ubiquitous wherever there is bush cover, 
and also water. The latter requires arid country. 
N early all settlers are able to have an occasional shot 
at a bushbuck, and although he is certainly destructive 
to young crops, much is forgiven him for his beauty. 
Where not much molested, they feed in the open well 
into the day, but soon learn that with the dawn comes 
danger. The bushbuck runs very large in the Pro¬ 
tectorate—a fine buck weighing well over 200 lb. 
The horns are proportionately good, and have been 
known to exceed 20 inches. The sportsman, however, 
may be satisfied with anything above 14 inches. It is 
