ngs of some of the
natural history treasures he had secured.

"Some of it, of course, father," replied Dick. "But they are both cut
about the faces with stones."

This being the case, it was decided to try and scare off the little
vicious animals with a few charges of duck-shot, reserving the bullets
in their rifles in cases of extremity.

Dinny said he was too much hurt to go to the attack; but the rest of the
forces were collected, and, led by Peter, they made their way up over
the ridge into the next valley; but no baboons were in sight, and though
they went on their trail for some little distance, it seemed to be a
useless task; so, sending part of their little company back, Mr Rogers
went in one direction, the boys in another, to pass round a rocky hill
and meet upon the other side.

Everything was very silent in the stillness of the hot midday, and what
with the sun's torrid beams, and the reflection from the rocks, progress
was very slow, till a faint bleating noise, that seemed to come from
behind a patch of rocks, made the boys cock their pieces, and approach
cautiously.

They were so accustomed to hunting now, that they had no difficulty in
stalking up to the clump of rocks, and there, sheltered behind some
bushes, they stood with presented pieces, ready to fire, but hesitating
for a time before the novelty of the scene.

Just in a depression amongst the rocks, where there was an open patch of
fine grass, crouched an antelope, with a glossy black skin, and a pair
of the longest and most beautifully curved horns they had ever seen.

Dick knew it in a moment as the swart vitpense, or lion-killer, as it
was called by the Boers; and sure enough it was there at bay before a
large tawny lion, crouched ready to spring, but hesitating to bound and
impale itself upon those two finely pointed horns, which the antelope's
lowered head pointed straight for the charge.

Twice over the monster seemed about to spring, but each time it
hesitated, shuffling its feet beneath it, and altering its position more
to the right; but the antelope had no intention of being taken in flank,
and kept changing front so as to meet the attack.

Then for the first time, they saw that the antelope had its little one
beneath it, and with all a mother's instinct she was protecting it with
her horns.

This roused the boys on the instant. They had no sooner seen the head
of that antelope and its wondrously beautiful horns, than they m