the little creature so infusing
itself in the blood of the unfortunate horses bitten that they gradually
died off without their owners being able to do anything to save them.

Fortunately the limits of the land occupied by these dangerous little
creatures is pretty well-known, and those who venture upon it with
horses do so at their own risk.

Game had been rather scarce for some days, when, mounting their horses,
Dick and Jack left their father with the waggon, and went in search of
something suitable for present use.

Partly for the sake of their help, but more particularly to give them a
change, Pompey and Caesar were let loose, the latter following Dick down
to the low land at the side of the stream.

It was a tolerably open place, dotted with willow-like trees rising from
amongst the thick grass; and they had not gone far before, after a good
deal of rustling about among the reeds and grass, Caesar started
something, which, however, refused to come into sight, but kept running
from cover to cover, till at last, as Caesar was diligently hunting it
by scent, Dick caught sight of a dark back, and a head bearing a pair of
stout, fully-ringed horns, curved back in a remarkable way, and ending
in very sharp points.

It was but a moment's glance, and he had no time to fire before the
creature was out of sight again; and he rode on right to the very edge
of the stream, where he arrived just in time to see the antelope leaving
the water, across which it had swum, and Caesar puffing and panting as
he swam on in the creature's wake.

The antelope looked so playful and full of life as it shook its head to
get rid of the water that streamed from it, with the drops flashing in
the sun, that Dick sat like a statue upon his cob; and though he held
his rifle ready, he forgot to fire, but let the buck bound out of the
shallow water on to the bank and disappear amongst the trees, where it
went off at a tremendous rate, while Caesar, as he reached the bank in
turn, paused to get rid of some water by a good shake, and then stood
and gazed at his master, and howled with disappointment that he should
not have attempted to shoot.

The consequence was that Dick, after a long ride returned empty to camp,
where Jack, however, had preceded him, having been less scrupulous, and
bearing before him a good-sized springbok, which he had brought down
with the longest shot he had ever made.

CHAPTER FORTY TWO.

A QUARREL BETWEEN TWO E