ad dogs we should soon however catch him."

In the excitement of the chase, forgetting that we ran great risk of
knocking up our horses, away we started. Although the animal had only
two legs to run on and had an enormous tail to carry, which does not, I
really believe, help it, though it serves to balance itself in its
upright position, so far did it get ahead of us that it was useless
firing. I had scarcely noticed the direction it was taking, but on
looking round I found that it was leading us back to the spot from which
we had come. How far it had got I cannot say, when four or five black
fellows started up with spears in their hands uttering loud shouts and
shrieks. The _boomer_ saw that it had no chance of escape in that
direction, being perhaps better acquainted with its black enemies than
with the strange creatures on four legs which had been pursuing it. It
therefore stopped and gave us time to approach before it bounded round
and made off to the right. I had thrown myself from my horse, for I had
no notion at that time of firing from my saddle. I took a steady aim
and pulled the trigger. My bullet must have hit it on the hinder leg,
for it slackened its pace. In the meantime Bracewell and Guy dashed
forward. The creature, instead of continuing its flight, again stopped,
and facing the horsemen as they approached struck out with one of its
hinder claws, and had not Bracewell suddenly turned his steed, so
furiously did it strike that he would have been severely wounded.
Turning round however he dealt it so heavy a blow on the head with his
riding-whip that it staggered, and Guy firing brought it to the ground.
The natives, whom we recognised as our friends of the morning, now came
up and claimed the prize. Bracewell gave them to understand that we
must first cut out as many steaks as we required. When this was done we
handed the body over to them. They appeared highly delighted and
especially struck by the moderate quantity we claimed. We had now to
turn back to where we had left Toby in charge of the baggage animal. I
had some secret apprehensions that, if not honest, he might bolt with
our traps and be received with open arms as a wealthy man among some of
his countrymen. I was not aware at the time that he belonged to a tribe
regarded as hereditary enemies by the people inhabiting the country we
were travelling through, and that he was as likely to lose his life at
their hands as any white man