HARTEBEEST. 
55 
fered with our attempts to stalk other game. They are 
rather larger than red deer, very high in the withers, 
and with long heads ; their horns are like one twist 
of a corkscrew, and the colour of the skin is a light 
red. They are anything but graceful creatures, hut, 
possibly by way of compensation, have been gifted with 
singularly rapid powers of locomotion. The horns of 
the cows are weaker than those of the hulls, but of 
greater width. 
I sent away one man to bring up help to get the 
meat carried in, and, thinking I could easily find my 
way back, started off alone. It became dark so soon 
that had I not fallen in with the fatigue party coming 
out, I should probably have spent the night in the 
bush. Even when I secured a guide it was a most 
unpleasant tramp, on account of the everlasting thorns 
the darkness prevented my being able to avoid, and I 
did not reach camp till nearly eight o’clock. There I 
learnt that B-had seen elephants’ tracks only one 
day old, and that IT-had got a shot at an antelope, 
which he missed. 
December lgth .—We marched about sixteen miles 
across the plain that divides our last encampment from 
the Ndara range, and crossed old buffalo and antelope 
tracks in addition to fresh ones of zebra. Before we 
had gone half-way we came upon some fine giraffe in 
the bush, one, a splendid bull, being not more than 
thirty yards oft’. B-- alone had his rifle handy, 
but while exchanging his cartridges for others with solid 
bullets, the herd became aware of our presence and 
