Year: 1861

From Du Couret's life in the Desert


An Unpleasant Adventure.


/ thought caught glimpse of a horned head,
which showed itself but for a moment, and then
disappeared behind a hillock. NV companions,
however, did not believe it was an animal, and
as none of them cared to accompany me, / set
out in search of it alone


/ made my way straight toward the spot at
which had deserted the object in question, which
at first calculated to be about quarter of
league distant. 1t proved to be much further,
however-for a phenomenon peculiar to these
elevated regions that distances are much dimin-
ished to the eve, fact to be attributed, doubt
less, TO the great rarefaction of the atmosphere.
The hiIlock from behind which the horns
showed themselves ran from east to west, and a
portion of the summit of it fringed with a
growth of cactus. The ground rose with gentle
ascent. up which | threaded my way cautiously
among the brstling plants, keeping NV course
right for the place where supposed my game to
be.


Arrived at the top of the hillock / saw, with
eager joy, two superb gazeIles, male and a
female, browsing TRANQUILITY, as if unconscious Of
the existence of danger; but, unfortunately, they
were far beyond-the reach of my gun, and was
puzzled how to stalk them, for they were in the
middle of a beautiful open plain, destitute of





stopped for moment, turning over in my
mind the various stratagems employed by the
Hadramites in hunting the gazee. First
thought of initiating their cries. then of attempt
ing to fRscinate them by shaking aloft piece of
cloth. But such ruses appeared to me unlikely
to deceive gazelles cautious these seemed
to be, for / remarked that every now and then
they tossed up their beautiful heads and gazed
around them with air of suspicion


While / was thus doubtful what course to pur-
sue, my eve fell upon a long, gray line, winding
away beyond the plain on which the two animals
were feeding


Whether this was a fssure in the earth, the
track made by troop of wild oxen, or the bed
of a stream, l could not decide, but at any rate
it wss just the cover wanted, for the gazelles
were now hardly hundred wards from it, and
they appeared inclined to approach it yet more
closely.


Creeping out from the cactus thicket, made
my way for a point at which the hillock was
nearly on a level with the fat, upon reaching
which ! found myself ON the bank of a stream
the shallow, crystal water of which slid along
over a bed Of sand and clay. The banks Of this
rivulet were low-hardly three feet above the
level of the water, except at certain points where
the hillock approached it. / descended into its
bed, then, without difficulty, and set to work to
wade it up stream.


As had foreseen, / soon arrived at a point
where the stream, which ran parallel to the plain
for some distance formed a bend and changed its
course suddenly.


Here stopped and reconoitered, taking care
not to discover myself, however. The gazelles
were now quite within range of the stream,
though not of the part of it where was resting
They still browsed quietly, in happy unconscious.
ness of the danger near them. All was favor
able for me- and / continued stalking up the
stream-a mode of proceeding, however, which
found anything but pleasant, for | sank continu-
ally in the soft ooze, besides being obliged to
creep in a STOPPING posture, and to guard care
fully against making the least noise, lest my game
should take the alarm


But all this was nothing to me, influenced as
was not only by respect for my reputation as g
hunter but by the desire to produce good bit oi
venison for dinner


Having waded another hundred yards or so,
came to a little covert of worm wood, the brushy
growth of which was high enough to conceal mt
without intercepting my view. raised myself
up gradually until / could see between the stems
and, finding / was IN the right place, sighted thu
female gazelle Just between the horns and fired
The animal bounded high into the air, anC
then fell heavily back upon the ground, dead


/ was about to emerge from my ambush an,
take possession of my game, when i remarke'
that the male gazelle, instead of taking to fight
as / expected, approached his companion wher



many times. The poor animal was not NOR
than a hundred yards distant from me, so that
could plainly distinguish the grief and astonish
ment expressed in his looks. But suddenly tn
sad truth seemed to flash upon him, and throwing
his head back, he began to utter piercing cries
as he wheeled around the dead body of his com
panion.


Uncertain what to do next, my first impuls
was to shoot the male with my second barrel, bu
Il. bo1 4bab boarf nd
renounced for the moment my murderous project
Had dreamed of encountering spectacle so sa
as this, certainly should not have left my com
panions for such an enterprise, and now deepl
regretted that / had undertaken it.


But the harm was done, and began to thin
that it would now be good deed to kill the NAL
gazelie and put end to his sorrows. Moved b
this sentiment of compassion, then, / took aim q
him and drew the trigger with trembling finger
for was deeply affected


When the smoke had cleared away l saw tn
poor little buck lying upon the ground, dead, wit
his head resting ON the body of his dead con
panion.


FIinging my gun upon my shoulder, made
movement to ascend from the bed of the stream
but to my great surprise, was held fast by tn
feet, nv legs being clasped closely round as if b
the jaws of vice. ] made a violent effort to fire
myself from this singular restraint, but withor
success. A second and more powerful struggl
was attended by no better result; and, in thir
attempt lost my balance and fell backward wit
nv head in the water, from which / raised m
self with great difficulty, and not without ma
row escape from drowning.


now felt nv feet locked down more closel
than ever, while continued to make frantic e
forts to extricate myself, but all in vain, for
could neither move my legs backward nor fo
ward, to the right nor to the left, in addition I
which began TO be aware that / was sensbl
though gradually, sinking.


The fearful truth now dawned upon me.
was in quick sand.


A shudder of horror vibrated through m
frame; but continued my efforts to release m
self with all the energy of desperation, draggir
myself first to this side, then to the other, al
twisting my knees around in their sockets; b.
all 20 no purpose. Ny feet remained fixed to Il
soil, in which they had become firmly imbedde


The sand, as it heaped around me, seized no
upon my leathem leggins, squeezing them
closely that found it impossible to withdraw n
legs from them, and now saw no other prospe
before me than that of being engulphed slow
but surely, as if sucked down into the vitals
the earth by some invisible monster.


This fearful idea smote me with cold shivt
and cried aloud with all the power of my lung


But who was there to hear meg For leag
around, probably, all was savage solitude, u
trodden by the foot of man.


j now leaned forward as tar as my cOnstrain
position would permit. striving, with the nervo
clutchings of despair,to dig away the sand-b
could do little more than scratch the surface
it, and the little was able to remove, beside
was Immediately replaced.


At length it occurred to that, by drivir
nv gun horizontally into the bank of the strelr
/ might obtain resistance BY which to wren,
myself from destruction; but had dropped il
nv fall, and il had already disappeared benea
the sand. Then thought of throwing myself
nv back, so as to retard the process of sinkin
but the water around me was mt lelst two fe
deep, so that must inftllibly have been drown
had | done so.
All hope had now abandoned me. / could d
wise no means of escape, and j was utterly inc
pable of making any further efforts Siupor too