ad cut it out on the morrow.

We proceeded at a foot-pace, since there was no need for hurry, and had
travelled a distance of some three miles when, borne faintly to our ears
by the gentle breeze that was blowing behind us, we heard a peculiar
yapping howl which told us that a pack of wild dogs was in full cry
somewhere in our rear. Being curious to learn what kind of animal they
were hunting, we looked about us for a spot whence, ourselves unseen, we
might witness the chase, which the increasing loudness of the cries told
us was coming our way. Such a spot was found close at hand in the
shadow of a big clump of thorn bush, within a few yards of the margin of
a small stream, evidently a tributary of the river which flowed a mile
or two farther to the westward.

We had scarcely established ourselves in our place of concealment when a
beautiful zebra mare, accompanied by her foal, appeared coming toward us
at a trot, which circumstance, taken in conjunction with the laboured
action of the animals, clearly indicated that both were in the very last
stage of exhaustion; and indeed the fugitives had only gone a few yards
past us when the mare stumbled heavily, recovered herself with
difficulty, and then, with a scream that marked the extremity of her
terror and despair, crashed heavily to the ground, where, after an
ineffectual effort to scramble to her feet again, she lay flat on her
side, panting heavily and with her tongue protruding. And as the mare
fell the foal pulled up short beside her and stood, with lowered head
and legs wide apart, trembling so violently that the action was visible
even to us nearly a hundred yards away.

By this time the yapping sounds had become so loud that we knew the pack
must be close at hand, and a moment later they swept into view, some
thirty or so in number; and as they sighted the prostrate zebra, with
her foal standing beside her, their yapping changed to a howl of
exultation, which caused the mare again to make an ineffectual effort to
scramble to her feet, while the foal hobbled away a yard or two, but
returned to his dam when he saw that she was unable to rise. It was a
rather pathetic sight to see those two beautiful animals awaiting
destruction at the fangs of the dogs, and, moved suddenly by a sense of
pity, I pressed my heels to Prince's flanks, and, calling Piet to
follow, rode forward into the open.

At the sight of two mounted figures advancing to bar their progress the