ON THE STONY ATHI 
233 
safety, 500 yards off) standing “on gaze” lie must 
needs gaze too. But he, being exactly 245 yards away, 
thus received a *450 ball in the forehead! The photo 
on previous page shows him as he fell. 
This, and my brother’s best bull, each measured over 
25 ins. between the inside bends of their horns. 
When wounded and at close quarters, the weird and 
shaggy wildebeest, with his broad horns and fierce eye, 
can present a sufficiently alarming appearance. The 
fact was driven home by an incident that occurred in 
the Transvaal in August 1899. I had succeeded in 
cutting out a herd of some forty brindled gnus coming 
to water on the N’guanetsi Biver, and the second barrel 
had knocked over a big bull which, however, speedily 
regained his legs, when the whole herd bunched together 
and disappeared from view, amidst the fringing bush 
and forest. The trail they left—like that of a runaway 
wagon—obliterated all individual spoor; but after follow¬ 
ing it with my gunbearer, Klaas, a mile or so on to the 
open grass-veld beyond, a single beast had turned out 
to the right, and on this trail we instantly detected 
blood. Five hundred yards beyond, while crossing a 
stony patch, bare of grass, we were arrested by a roar 
and a rush in our rear. Not twenty yards behind came 
the wounded bull, dashing towards us—a perfect picture 
of fury. We had walked past him; for (as wounded 
beasts often do) he had turned back on his heel before 
lying down, but on getting our wind beyond, made this 
grand effort. Luckily (as I only carried a stick) the 
bull’s strength betrayed his courage. Klaas handed 
the rifle smartly, skipping behind me in the same 
movement. But already the acute stage had passed. 
Within twice his own length, the plucky beast pulled 
up exhausted, his eyes still flashing and broad 
muzzle stretched out horizontally towards us, blow¬ 
ing and bellowing. But crimson foam flew from 
those nostrils, and by stepping two yards to right, I 
got the shoulder exposed and terminated a memorable 
scene. 
