chap, xxvii. A DAY AMONGST THE GNUS. 
263 
gnu is a 6 mad ’ animal, and the manner in which they 
rush about, whether singly or in herds, would certainly 
impress you with this idea. 
They carry their heads very high, have buffalo¬ 
shaped horns, with the points turning up; their eyes 
look like balls of glass, and they have a flowing tail, 
with long white or brindled hair, something between 
that of a horse and a cow. With these they lash them¬ 
selves perpetually, whirling and rushing about in all 
directions, from and towards you, bringing their heads 
down to the charge or high up in the air, and at the 
same time kicking up with their heels like a horse. 
Whole herds do the same thing—so much so that at 
first you are half-afraid they are going to charge you, 
when suddenly they turn and go off in the other direc¬ 
tion. 
They very rarely do charge unless when wounded, 
and then if one of the herd takes a 4 lead ’ the remainder 
will generally follow. Now is the time to 4 race 9 for 
the head of the herd; and th$ remainder will then 
pass close to you and give you a fair chance of knock¬ 
ing over a couple right and left, even with the old 
muzzle-loading double guns. At the present day, with a 
breech-loader or a repeating rifle, you might kill several 
before a good-sized herd passed you. 
The day’s sport I am about to relate took place 
while I was passing up the banks of the Orange 
