rd of smaller antelopes
were between them and the hunters, and there appeared to be no
likelihood of their firing a shot.

"I'll give them a few minutes longer, Dyke," whispered Emson, "and then
we must, if they don't come, go after them."

"Wouldn't it be better to pick off a couple of these?" said Dyke softly.

"No; we must have one of those elands. We shall have to ride one down,
and when we get close, leap off and fire. Be ready for when I say
`Mount.'"

Dyke nodded smartly, and waited impatiently for a full quarter of an
hour, during which they had chance after chance at small fry; but the
elands still held aloof.

All at once Emson's voice was heard in a low whisper: "Do you see that
fat young bull with the dark markings on its back and shoulders?"

"Yes."

"That is the one we must ride for.--Ready! Mount, and off."

They sprang into their saddles together, and dashed off to follow the
elands, while at their first movements the whole plain was covered with
the startled herds, one communicating its panic to the other. There was
the rushing noise of a tremendous storm; but Dyke in the excitement saw
nothing, heard nothing, but the elands, which went tearing away in their
long, lumbering gallop, the horses gaining upon them steadily, and the
herd gradually scattering, till the young bull was all alone, closely
followed by the brothers; Emson dexterously riding on the great brute's
near side, and edging it off more and more so as to turn its head in the
direction of Kopfontein; hunting it homeward, so that, if they were
successful at last in shooting it, the poor brute would have been
helping to convey itself part of the way, no trifling advantage with so
weighty a beast.

On and on at a breakneck gallop, the horses stretching out like
greyhounds in the long race; but the eland, long and lumbering as it
was, kept ahead. Its companions were far behind, and the plain, which
so short a time before had been scattered with herds of various animals,
now seemed to have been swept clear once more.

At last the tremendous pace began to tell upon both horses and eland,
while the difficulty of driving it in the required direction grow less.
But all at once, rendered savage by the persistency of the pursuit, the
great antelope turned toward the horses and charged straight at Dyke.

The boy was so much astonished at this sudden and unexpected attack that
he would have been overturned, but for the activity of Bree