CHAP. V.] 
STALKING ANTELOPES, 
129 
marshy plain, upon which I discerned at a great 
distance a number of antelopes. Having nothing to 
eat I determined to stalk them, as I heard from the 
people that we were not far from our halting-place for 
the day. 
Accordingly I left Mrs. Baker with my horse and a 
spare rifle to wait, while the party marched straight 
on ; I intended to make a circuit through the jungle 
and to wait for the entrance of the herd, which she 
was to drive, by simply riding through the plain and 
leading my horse ; she was to bring the horse to me 
should I fire a shot. After walking for about a mile in the 
jungle parallel with the plain, 1 saw the herd of about 
two hundred Tetel going at full gallop from the open 
ground into the jungle, having been alarmed by the 
Turks and the red flags, who had crossed over the 
marsh. So shy were these antelopes that there was 
no possibility of stalking them. 1 noticed however 
that there were several waterbucks in the very centre 
of the marsh, and that two or three trees afforded the 
possibility of a stalk. Having the wind all right, 1 
succeeded in getting to a tree within about two hundred 
and fifty yards of the largest buck, and lying down in 
a dry trench that in the wet season formed a brook, 1 
crept along the bottom until I reached a tall tuft of 
grass that was to be my last point of cover. Just as I 
raised myself slowly from the trench I found the buck 
watching me most attentively. A steady shot with 
my little No. 24 rifle took no effect—it was too high : 
—the buck did not even notice the shot, which was I 
suppose the first he had ever heard;—he was standing 
exactly facing me ; this is at all times an unpleasant 
position for a shot. Seeing that he did not seem 
disposed to move, I re-loaded without firing my 
left-hand barrel. I now allowed for the high range 
of the last shot; a moment after the report he sprang 
into the air, then fell upon his knees and galloped off 
on three legsone of the fore-legs being broken. I 
had heard the sharp sound of the bullet, but the shot 
