252 
THE STORY OF THE ANTELOPE. 
spread out apparently to twice its natural size, and the next moment he rose 
like a bird into the air. 
With one bound he cleared the wide space that separated him from the 
nearest of the gemsboks, alighting on the hindquarters of the terrified 
animal. A single blow of his powerful paw brought the antelope to his 
haunches; and another, delivered almost at the same instant, stretched its 
body lifeless on the plain. 
Without looking after the other, or seeming to care further about it, the 
lion sprang upon the body of his victim, and clutching its throat between 
its jaws, commenced drinking its warm blood. 
It was the bull gemsbok which the lion pulled down, as this was the one 
that happened to be nearest the hill. 
As the lion sprang upon her companion, the cow, of course, started with 
affright, and we supposed we would see her the next moment scouring off 
over the plain. To our astonishment she did no such thing. Such is not the 
nature of the noble oryx. On the contrary, as soon as she recovered from 
the first moments of alarm, she wheeled around toward the enemy—and, 
lowering her head to the very ground, so that her long horns projected 
horizontally in front, she rushed with all her strength upon the lion. 
