ncement.

Certainly they had horns, replied all three.

They had seen the horns, sharp-pointed ones, which first came down, and
then turned upwards in front of the animals' faces. They had manes too,
Jan affirmed; and thick necks that curved like that of a beautiful
horse; and tufts of hair like brushes upon their noses; and nice round
bodies like ponies, and long white tails that reached near the ground,
just like the tails of ponies, and finely-shaped limbs as ponies have.

"I tell you," continued Jan, with emphasis, "if it hadn't been for their
horns and the brushes of long hair upon their breasts and noses, I'd
have taken them for ponies before anything. They galloped about just
like ponies when playing, and ran with their heads down, curving their
necks and tossing their manes,--aye, and snorting too, as I've heard
ponies; but sometimes they bellowed more like bulls; and, I confess,
they looked a good deal like bulls about the head; besides I noticed
they had hoofs split like cattle. Oh! I had a good look at them while
Hans was loading his gun. 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. Jan had correctly given many of the characteristic
points of that, perhaps, the most singular of all ruminant animals, the
wildebeest or gnoo (_Catoblepas gnoo_). The brush-like tuft over the
muzzle, the long hair between the fore-legs, the horns curving down over
the face, and then sweeping abruptly upward, the thick curving neck, the
rounded, compact, horse-shaped body, the long whitish tail, and full
flowing mane--all were descriptive of the gnoo.

Even Trueey had not made such an unpardonable mistake. The gnoos, and
particularly the old bulls, bear a very striking resemblance to the
lion, so much so that the sharpest hunters at a distance can scarce tell
one from the other.

Jan, however, had observed them better than Trueey; and had they been
nearer, he might have further noticed that the creatures had red fiery
eyes and a fierce look; that their heads and horns were not unlike those
of the African buffalo; that their limbs resembled those of the stag,
while the rest corresponded wel