Year: 1865

Erom " hote Book Of Colonel Walter Dunln p


All night long the natives kept up
their ear-splitting powwow; and not
until morning had dawned did they
allow the fire to die out; and then
while they slept off the effect of their
debarch, our party posted off to the
forest in search of game. We killed
two wild hogs and small antelope
which / could not name. and toward
night l discovered herd of blesboks,
but it was too late then to think of
capturing any of them.


The blesbok is one of the finest au-
imals in the world, and is, think,
the swtftest OF all the African ante
lopes. The name blesbok is from the
peculiar blaze, or broad white streak,
that marks tho face and the colors
of the back and sides are strikingly
beautiful and harmoniously blended
together Notwithstanding the swift
ness Of this animal and his roaming
proclivities, those which l had seen,
were exceedingly fat and in prime Or
der. L meant to have some of them.
ddiiRGSaihy diGSSalty 81 said aa that ,Ys5hgal& &9GSrpa
about our being able to shoot them.
/ told him if he and his companions
would join us in the chase, we would
take few of the feet footed fellows
to camp with us. Ho declared that
nothing would suit him better.


We reached our camp at dark, and
after partaking Of capital supper,
prepared by Fitzeben, we sat down to
enjoy comfortable smoke.


On the following morning we were
up betimes, and our breakfast had
been disposed of before the sun
showed its face Taking our best ri
lles and plenty of ammunition, we
mounted our horses and set oil, fol-
lowed by score or more of the ma
tives. AT the distance Of some ten
miles to the eastward from our camp,
we caught sight Of herd Of blesboks.
They were iull half mile away, gra-
zing upon a slope of hill. di-
rected tho party to stop, and having
care ully selected the spot where l
would lie in wait, i set my servants at
work with their spades. We dug
four holes about four feet 'eel,
around the edges of which we stuck a
lot Of green boughs; and when this
had been done, i sent the natives un-
der the head Of Jot and Tickomy, to
start the blesboks towards us. They
were to make wide circuit, so as to
be sure andcome up in the rear OF the
herd.


At the end Of an hour, by the aid
of my pocket glass, / saw our after.
riders at the top of the hill behind the
blesboks, and shortly afterwards the
herd started. We at once took to oul
shooting holes, and ere'long we heard
the tramp of the swift feet approach.
ing. Nearer and nearer came the no,
BILE crew, never dreaming of the dan.
ger that lay in their path-nearel
until their blazed faces broke tn,
shrubbery, and their sleek broadside'
were fairly exposed within ixtyyard,
of us. Crack went our rifles, ant
over tumbled three Of the fattest o
the herd. We had our double barrel
in our hands, and in another momen
two more of the flying animals bit th'
dust. The blesboks-those unharmet
did not stop to discover the occasion
of the disturbance, but kept on at th
top of their speed, simply making
sweep to the right, away from the di
rection of our smoke.


When Jot and Tickomy came up,
directed them to strike off to tn
westward, and see if they could no
drive the blcsbocks back across on
covers again. Away they went, bu
thoy did not succeed as / had hoped
They turned the herd, about thre
miles away, but the rascals cut off i


another direction, and we saw n


more Of them. However we had 81
cured five of the best Of their numbei
and that was q good days wor
enough. 10


1t was near night when our me


came together at the place where III


game had fallen; and while some


the natives, under the direction of 10
: were taking off the skins of the bic
boks, we were startled by a heaS


tramp in the wood back of us.


caught up my rifle and hurried T.
ward the bush, and was just in SCI
!. son to see a squad of buffaloes maxim


of to the northward, toward the h
8 where we had seen the antelopes.


mounted mY horse as quickly as %