e nothing but graceful and beautiful little
gazelles.

"My first thought was to get near them, and have a shot; and I was about
to start off over the plain, when I perceived that the antelopes were
coming towards me. I saw that they were approaching with considerable
rapidity; and if I only remained where I was, they would save me the
trouble of stalking in upon them. I lay down behind a bush and waited.

"I had not very long to wait. In less than a quarter of an hour the
foremost of the herd drew near, and in five minutes more a score of them
were within shot.

"I did not fire for some time. I knew they would come still nearer; and
I lay watching the motions of those pretty creatures. I took notice of
their light handsome forms, their smooth slender limbs, their
cinnamon-coloured backs, and white bellies, with the band of chestnut
along each side. I looked at the lyre-shaped horns of the bucks, and
above all, at the singular flaps on their croup, that unfolded each time
that they leaped up, displaying a profusion of long silky hair, as white
as snow itself.

"All these points I noticed, and at length, tired of admiring them, I
singled out a fine-looking doe--for I was thinking of my dinner, and
knew that doe-venison was the most palatable.

"After aiming carefully, I fired. The doe fell, but, to my
astonishment, the others did not run off. A few of the foremost only
galloped back a bit, or bounded up into the air; but they again set to
browsing quite unconcerned, and the main body advanced as before!

"I loaded as quickly as I could, and brought down another,--this time a
buck--but as before without frightening the rest!

"I proceeded to load for the third time; but before I had finished, the
front ranks had passed on both sides of me, and I found myself in the
midst of the herd!

"I saw no need for covering myself any longer behind the bush, but rose
to my knees, and, firing at the nearest, brought it down also. Its
comrades did not pause, but ran over its body in thousands!

"I loaded again, and stood right up on my feet.

"Now for the first time it occurred to me to reflect on the strange
conduct of the springboks; for, instead of making off at my appearance,
they only bounded a little to one side, and then kept on their course.
They seemed possessed by a species of infatuation. I remembered hearing
that such was their way when upon one of their migrations, or
`trek-bokens.' This, then, though