The Irish standard., 1890-02-08

will they do? Go back? Not bit Of it.
It is nearly thirty feet wide, but that is
nothing to a springbok. See, the first OF
them bounds into the air like a bali.
How beautifully the sunshine CLEANS
upon his golden hide. He has cleared
| it, and the others come after him In
nnmberless succession, all except the
fawns, who can not jump SO far, and
have to scamper over the doubtful path
with terrified bah. What is that yon-
der, moving over the tops of the mimosa
in the little dell at the foot of the kop-
pie? CRATES, by Georgel three OF. them;
tonight. Hark! the ground shakes be-
hind us, and over the brow of the rise
rush vast herd OF blesbock. On they
come at full gallop, their long heads
! held low - they look like SO many
bearded goats. thought so. Behind
them is pack of wild dogs, their fur
draggled, their tongues lol1ing. They
are in full cry; the giraffes hear them
and are away, rolling round the koppie
like ship in heavy sea. No marrow
bones after all. See! the foremost dogs
are close on buck. He has galloped
| far and is outworn. One springs at his
| flank and misses him. The buck gives
a kind of groan, looks wildly round and
sees the wagon. He seems to hesitate
moment, then in his despair rushes up
| to it and falls exhausted among the
oxen. The dogs pull up some thirty
PAGES away, painting and snarling. Now,
| boy, the gun-no, not the rifle; the shot
gun loaded with loopers.
Bang! bang! There, my friends, two
! Of you will never hunt buck again. No,
don't touch the buck, for he has come to
us for shelter, and he shall have it.
! All, how beautiful is nature before
man comes to spoil it!
Such sight as this have I seen many
a hundred times, and I hope to see it
again before die.
| The first real adventure that befell me
on this particular journey was with ele-
| plants, which I will relate because OF
it's curious termination. just before we
| crossed the Orange river we came to O.
stretch of forest land some twenty miles
| broad. The night we entered this forest
we camped in lovely open glade. A.
|
growing to the height of man, or
rather it had been. Now, with the ex-
ception of a few stalks here and there,
| it was crushed quite Hat. 1t was already
dusk when we camped, but after the
moon got up T walked from the fire to
see how this had happened. One glance
was enough for me. A great herd OF
! elephants had evidently passed over the
tall grass not many hours before. The
sight of their spoor rejoiced me exceed
! ingly, for though I had seen wild ele-
plants, at that time I had never shot
; one. Moreover, the sight Of elephant
spoor to the African hunter is what
sscolor in the pan" is to the prospector
of gold. It is by ivory that he lives, and
| to shoot it or trade it is his chief aim in
life. My resolution was soon taken. [
would camp the wagons for awhile IN
the forest, and start on horseback after
the elephants.
lcommunicatedm my decision to Indaba-
zimbi and the other Katfirs. The latter
were not 10th, for your Kafir loves hunt
ing, which means plenty of meat and
congenial occupation, but Indaba zirnbl
would express no opinion. | saw him
retire to little fire that he had lit for
himself and go through some mysterious
performances with bones and clay
mixed with ashes, which were watched
with the greatest interest by the other
Kaftirs. Atlength he rose, and, coming
forward, Informed me that it was all
right, and that did we'll to go and hunt
the elephants, as should get plenty OF
ivory; but he advised me to go on foot.
I said l should do nothing of the sort,
but meant to ride. am wiser now; that
was the first and last time that I ever
attempted to hunt elephants on horse
back.
Accordingly we started at dawn, /, In
daba-zimbi and three men; the rest 1
left with the wagons. I was on horseback,
and so was my driver, a good rider and a.
skillful shot for Kafir, but Indaba-
zimbi and the others walked. From dawn
till midday we followed the trail Of the
herd, which was as plain as a high road.
Then we off-saddled to let the horses
rest and feed, and about three o'clock
started on again. Another hour or so
passed, and still there was no sign Of
elephants Evidently the herd had
travelled fast and far, and | began to
think that we should have to give it up
when suddenly 1 caught sight OF a
brown mass moving through the thorn
trees on the side of a slope about quar-
ter of a mile away. Ny heart seemed TO
jump into my mouth. Where is the
| hunter who has not felt like this at the
sight of his first elephant? called
halt, and then, the wind being right,
we set to work to stalk the bull. Very
quietly rode down the hither side OF the
slope till we came to the bottom, which
was denselycovered with bush. Here l
saw the elephants had been feeding, for
broken branches and upturned trees lay
all about. I did not take much notice,
however. for all my thoughts were fixed
upon the bull was stalking, when sud-
| denly my horse made violent start that
nearly threw me from my saddle, and
there came mighty rush and upheaval
of something in front Of me. looked.
There was the hinder part OF a second
bull elephant not four yards off. could
1 lust catch sight of his outstretched ears
protecting on either side. / had dis