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We went out again the following morning, shot at wildebeests at all known ranges, from two hundred yards up to five hundred yards but our luck was against us.
He was right, for after a run of a couple of miles the animals began to slacken their speed, and at length Gozo was seen far away in the distance, and well ahead, gradually nearing them. "We'll stop here," cried Denis, as they came to some thick bushes. "We can conceal ourselves, and the wildebeests won't mind the horses, even if they see them."
Presently we reached an open glade in the forest, where I observed a herd of zebras in advance; and on my left stood a troop of springboks, with two leopards watching them from behind a bush. I rode on, and soon fell in with a troop of hartebeests, and, a little after, with a large herd of blue wildebeests and pallahs.
They stayed by the water till he was nearly ready; and when they galloped off, they went in a long string one behind the other with the largest one in front, and another large one in the rear." "Wildebeests!" exclaimed Hendrik. "Gnoos!" cried Swartboy. "Yes, they must have been wildebeests," said Von Bloom; "Jan's description corresponds exactly to them." This was quite true.
He had been shooting some of the various kinds of antelopes which abound in that country, under various names, such as wildebeests, springboks, blesboks, and pallahs, when the adventure occurred, which he thus describes.
Antelope and wildebeests, zebra and hartebeests, there seems no end to them in this sportsman's paradise. At night, attracted by to-morrow's meat that hangs inside a strong and well-guarded hut, the hyaenas come to prowl and voice their hunger and disappointment on the evening air.
They were all too hungry to be fastidious, and, without a word of criticism, they got through their dinner. Hans then commenced relating the history of his day's adventure. "Well," began Hans, "you had not been gone more than an hour, when a herd of wildebeests was seen approaching the vley.
The chase led through a large herd of blue wildebeests, zebras, and springboks, which gazed at us in utter amazement. At length I fired my second barrel, but my horse was fidgety, and I missed.
This is what the boy said though his language is translated. Norris remained upon this encampment for a fortnight. Blue wildebeests, koodoos, elands, and gems-bok were plentiful, and once he got a shot at a wart-hog boar. At the end of the fortnight he walked round the ant-heap early one morning, and of a sudden plumped down full length in the grass.
They rode on, however, for several miles, without meeting with a living creature. Nothing was to be seen on either hand but wild mountain-sides and arid plains dotted here and there with gigantic ant-hills and occasional groves of tall trees. At length, having surmounted a low ridge, they came suddenly in sight of a herd of wildebeests or gnus, grazing quietly about a mile from them.
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