76 
SOLDIERING AND SPORT IN MASHONALAND. 
on the usual methods of hunting them, and the most important points 
in which some of the principal ones differ from one another, may not 
be without interest. The South African hunter, when in quest of 
game of this sort, usually proceeds on horseback, frequently accom¬ 
panied by one or two companions, but in default of these he seldom 
omits to take with him one or more natives, either mounted or 
on foot, more often the latter. He starts just as day is breaking, and 
rides at a foot’s pace across the veldt, keeping a sharp look-out for 
game, and at the same time examining the ground carefully for spoor. 
On coming to a stream, or pool of water, he makes a careful inspection 
of the banks, and if he finds fresh spoor, he notes the direction in 
which the animals appear to have moved off, and then, if the wind is 
not blowing too much from behind him, he follows up the spoor as long 
as he is able to discern it, casting forward in the direction in which it 
is leading whenever the ground is so hard as not to show any marks. 
In this way he usually comes in sight of the game before long, and if 
the country is open, and his eyesight is good, he should catch sight of 
it at a considerable distance. If the bush is thick he frequently comes 
suddenly on his game, when he jumps off and takes a shot, if possible, 
before they begin to move, then up again on his horse, and after them 
as hard as he can gallop, endeavouring always to keep them in sight, 
which is sometimes very difficult to do, when the thickness of the 
growth impedes his progress and limits his field of vision. After a 
time the buck almost invariably pull up, and turn round to see what 
he is doing, but the well-trained shooting horse, having observed 
the game shortening their stride and preparing to halt, will have 
stopped dead, and his rider will be already dismounted with his rifle 
up to his shoulder, and before the buck have realised that he is so 
close the finest bull amongst them will have got a bullet, which, if 
properly placed, will bring him to book before he has gone very much 
farther, but, should he not be hit in a vital spot, he will start off again 
at speed, this time separating from the remainder of the herd. The 
hunter following as fast as possible, will, as soon as he stops again, 
dismount and put another bullet into him. When the buck is down, 
the experienced hunter loses no time in giving him the coup de grace 
with his knife, at the same time taking care to keep out of the way of 
his sharp pointed horns, for it is no uncommon thing for a buck, after 
falling and lying on the ground for some minutes, to get up and make off 
again into the thick bush, to die several miles away, whilst the careless 
hunter, thinking the hunt is over, and having left his horse perhaps a 
hundred yards away, and placed his unloaded rifle against a tree, is 
wiping his brow and leisurely getting ready his hunting knife. When 
the game is really killed, he is cut open, and as by this time the sun is 
getting hot, and the camp which was left at day-break is some con¬ 
siderable distance away, a fire is lighted by the “ boys,” who, following 
the spoor of their master’s horse, have by this time arrived on the 
scene, and the liver or some other tit-bit is thrown on the ashes to 
grill, whilst the hunter smokes a pipe in the shade and the boys cut up 
the remainder of the meat into convenient pieces for carrying home. 
Then a rough breakfast having been made of grilled venison, washed 
