The Yale expositor., 1897-01-29


well, we hunted all about, and
nothing could we see, not even a duck
or a bush buck; and at last Thoroughly
tired and out OF temper we started on
our way back to camp, passing ovsr Tie
brow of a steepish hill to do so. Just
as we got over the ridge froze up like
a pointer dog, for there about SIX nun
dred yards to my left, his beautiful
curved horns outlined against the SOFT
blue sky, saw noble koodoo pun
(Strepsiceros kudu). Even at that dls-
lance. fora you know, my eyes are very
keen, could distinctly see the white
stripes upon its sides when the light
fell upon it, and it's large and pointed
ears twitch as the flies worried It,
so far so good; but how were we to
get at it? 1t was ridiculous to FISK
shot at that great distance, and yet
both the ground and the wind lay very
i'll for stalking. 1t seemed to me that
the only chance would be to make
detour of at least a mile or more, ana
come up on the other side OF the koo-
doc. l called Harry to my side ana
explained to him what l thought would
be the best course, when suddenly,
without any delay, the koodoo saved
us any further trouble by suddenly
starting off down the hill like leap
ing rocket. Perhaps a hyena or
leopard-a tiger as we call 1t there
had suddenly appeared; at any rate,
off it went, running slightly toward us,
and / never saw buck go faster. AS
for Harry, he stood watching the beau
tiful animals course. Presently 1t
vanished behind patch OF bush, TO
emerge a few seconds later about i've
hundred PAGES from us, on stretch
of comparatively level ground that was
strewn with powders. On 1t went,
taking the powders in its path in a
succession of great bounds that were
beautiful to behold. AS it did so, l
happened to look round at Harry, and
perceived to my establishment that he
had got his rifle to his shoulder.
"'You foolish boy! l CALCULATED
surely you are not going to'-and just
al that moment the rife went off.
and then l think l saw what was
in its way one of the most wonderful
things | ever remember in my hunt
ing eXperiece. The koodoo was at that
moment in the air, clearing pile OF
stones with its head.
All in an instant the legs stretched
themselves out in a spasmodic fashion,
and it lit on them and they doubled up
beneath it. Down went the noble buck,
down on its forelegs tucked up under
meath it, standing on its horns, its
hind-legs high in the air, and then over
it went and lay still.
"'Great heavens! l said, Why,
you've hit him! He's dead
CAS- for Harry, he said nothing, but
merely looked scared, as well he might.
A man, let alone a boy, might have
fired a thousand such shots without
ever touching the object; which, mind
you, was springing and bounding over
rocks quite five hundred yards away
and here this lad-taking a snap shot,
and merely allowing for elevation by
instinct, for he did not put up his
sights-had knocked the bull over as
dead as a door-nail. Well, l made no
further remark, the occasion was toe
solemn for talking, but merely led the
way TO where the koodoo lay. There
he was. beautiful and quite still; and
there. high up, about half way down
his neck. was a neat round hole. The
bullet had severed the spinal marrow
passing right through the vertebrae
and away on the other side.
at was already evening when, hav'
ing cut as much of the best meat as we
could carry from the bull, and tied a
red handkerchief and some tufts oi
grass TO his spiral horns, which, by the
way. must have been nearly five feet
in length, in the hope of keeping the
iackals and aasvogels (vultures) from
him. we finally got back to camp, tc
find Pharaoh, who was getting rather
anxious at our absence, ready to greet
us with the pleasing intelligence that
another OK was sick. But even this
dreadful bit of intelligence could not
dash Harry's spirits; the fact of the
matter being that, incredible as it may
appear. | do verify believe that in his
heart of hearts he set down the death
Of that koodoo to the credit of hi,
own skill. Now, though the lad was a
tidy shot enough, this of course wa:
ridiculous, and told him so very plain
ly.
"By the time that we had finished oul
supper Of koodoo steaks (Which would
have been better if the koodoc had
been a little younger), it was time lc get
ready for Jim-Jim's murderess again
All the afternoon Pharaoh told us the
unfortunate OK had been walking round
and round in a circle as cattle in the
last stage of red-water generally do
Now it had come to a standstill, and
was swaying to and fro with his head
hanging down. So we tied him up tc
the stump of the tree as on the previ-
ous night, knowing that If the lioness
did not kill him he would be dead by
morning. Indeed l was afraid that he
would be of but little use as bait
for lion is a sportsman-like animal
and unless he is very hungry generally
Drefers to kill his own dinner though