pursuit. At present they seemed to have gained but little, if at all,
upon him, and all were soon hidden from sight among the sandhills. In
spite of the assurance of Rabah the lads had doubts whether the dogs
would ever drive their quarry back to the spot where they were
standing, and it was full a quarter of an hour before pursuers and
pursued came in sight again. The pace had greatly fallen off, for one
of the dogs was some twenty yards behind the stag; the other was out
on its flank at about the same distance away, and was evidently aiding
in turning it toward the spot where the boys were standing.

"We will shoot together," Chebron said. "It will come within fifty
yards of us."

They waited until the stag was abreast of them. The dog on its flank
had now fallen back to the side of his companion as if to leave the
stag clear for the arrows of the hunters. The lads fired together just
as the stag was abreast; but it was running faster than they had
allowed for, and both arrows flew behind it. They uttered exclamations
of disappointment, but before the deer had run twenty yards it gave a
sudden leap into the air and fell over. Jethro had crept up and taken
his post behind some bushes to the left of the clump in readiness to
shoot should the others miss, and his arrow had brought the stag to
the ground.

"Well done, Jethro!" Amuba shouted. "It is so long since I was out
hunting that I seem to have lost my skill; but it matters not since we
have brought him down."

The dogs stood quiet beside the deer that was struggling on the
ground, being too well trained to interfere with it. Jethro ran out
and cut its throat. The others were soon standing beside it. It was
of a species smaller than those to which the deer of Europe belong,
with two long straight horns.

"It will make a useful addition to our fare to-night," Rabah said,
"although, perhaps, some of the other sorts are better eating."

"Do the dogs never pull them down by themselves?" Amuba asked.

"Very seldom. These two are particularly fleet, but I doubt whether
they would have caught it. These deer can run for a long time, and
although they will let dogs gain upon them they can leave them if they
choose. Still I have known this couple run down a deer when they could
not succeed in driving it within bowshot; but they know very well they
ought not to do so, for, of course, deer are of no use for food unless
the animals are properly killed and the blood allowe