177 
ch. vmj SPEED OF THE CHEETAH 
separately. Once, however, Kermit went with Tarlton, 
and was, as usual, lucky with cheetahs, killing two. 
Tarlton was an accomplished elephant, buffalo, and 
rhino hunter, but he preferred the chase of the lion to 
all other kinds of sport; and if lions were not to be 
found, he liked to follow anything else after which he 
could gallop on horseback. Kermit was also a good 
and hard rider. On this occasion they found a herd of 
eland, and galloped into it. The big bull they over¬ 
hauled at once, but saw that his horns were poor and 
left him. Then they followed a fine cow, with an 
unusually good head. She started at a rattling pace, 
and once leaped clear over another cow that got in her 
way ; but they rode into her after a mile’s smart gallop 
—not a racing gallop by any means—and after that she 
was as manageable as a tame ox. Cantering and trotting 
within thirty yards of her on either quarter, they drove 
her toward camp ; but when it was still three-quarters 
of a mile distant they put up a cheetah, and tore after 
it; and they overtook and killed it just before it reached 
cover. A cheetah with a good start can only be over¬ 
taken by hard running. This one behaved just as did 
the others they ran down. For a quarter of a mile no 
animal in the world has a cheetah’s speed ; but he 
cannot last. When chased the cheetahs did not sprint, 
but contented themselves with galloping ahead of the 
horses. At first they could easily keep their distance, 
but after a mile or two their strength and wind gave 
out, and then they always crouched flat to the earth, 
and were shot without their making any attempt to 
charge. But a wart-hog boar which Kermit ran down 
the same day and shot with his revolver did charge, and 
wickedly. 
While running one of his cheetahs, Kermit put up 
12 
