130 
A HUNT. 
[chap. y. 
was not very satisfactory. Turning to look for my 
horse I saw Mrs. Baker galloping over the plain to¬ 
wards me, leading Filfil, while Bicharn ran behind at 
his best speed. 
Upon her arrival I mounted Filfil, who was a fast 
horse, and with my little No. 24 rifle in my hand I 
rode slowly towards the wounded waterbuck, who was 
now standing watching us at about a quarter of a 
mile distant. However, before I had decreased my 
distance by a hundred yards he started off in full 
gallop. Putting Filfil into a canter I increased the 
pace until I found that I must press him at full speed, 
as the waterbuck, although on only three legs, had the 
best of it. The ground was rough, having been marshy 
and trodden into ruts by the game, but now dried by 
the sun -bad for both horse and antelope, but espe¬ 
cially for the former : however, after a race of about a 
mile I found myself gaining so rapidly that in a few 
moments I was riding on his left flank within three 
yards of him, and holding the rifle with one hand like 
a pistol I shot him dead through the shoulder. This 
little double rifle is an exceedingly handy weapon ;— 
it was made for me about nine years ago by Thomas 
Fletcher, gunmaker of Gloucester, and is of most per¬ 
fect workmanship. I have shot with it most kinds of 
large game ; although the bore is so small as No. 24, 
I have bagged with it rhinoceros, hippopotamus, lions, 
buffaloes, and all the heavy game except elephants 
and giraffes; upon the latter I have never happened 
to try it. Weighing only eight pounds and three- 
quarters it is most convenient to carry on horseback, 
and although I have had frequent accidents through my 
horse falling in full gallop, the stock is perfectly sound 
to this day. The best proof of thorough honest work¬ 
manship is, that in many years of hard work it has 
never been out of order, nor has it ever been in a gun- 
maker’s hands. 
The operation of cutting the waterbuck into four 
quarters, and then stringing them on to a strip of its 
