articular attention to those
upon the earth, being amply occupied in watching their fellows in the
air.

With delight I observed that the vulture is a very conservative
creature. They all did what doubtless they have done since the days of
Adam or earlier--wheeled, and then hung that little space of time before
they dropped to the ground like lead. This, then, would be the moment
at which to shoot them, when for four or five seconds they offered
practically a sitting target. Now, at that distance, always under a
hundred yards, I knew well that I could hit a tea plate every shot,
and a vulture is much larger than a tea plate. So it seemed to me that,
barring accidents, I had little to fear from the terrible trial of skill
which lay before me. Again and again I covered the hovering birds
with my rifle, feeling that if I had pressed the trigger I should have
pierced them through.

Thinking it well to practise, I continued this game for a long while,
till at last it came to an unexpected end. Suddenly I heard a scuffling
sound. Dropping my glance I saw that the whole mob of aasvogels were
rushing in upon Hans, helping themselves forward by flapping their great
wings, and that about three feet in front of them was their king. Next
instant Hans vanished, and from the centre of that fluffy, stinking mass
there arose a frightful yell.

As a matter of fact, as I found afterwards, the king vulture had
fastened on to his snub nose, whilst its dreadful companions, having
seized other portions of his frame, were beginning to hang back after
their fashion in order to secure some chosen morsel. Hans kicked and
screamed, and I rushed in shouting, causing them to rise in a great,
flapping cloud that presently vanished this way and that. Within a
minute they had all gone, and the Hottentot and I were left alone.

"That is good," I said. "You played well."

"Good! baas," he answered, "and I with two cuts in my nose in which I
can lay my finger, and bites all over me. Look how my trousers are torn.
Look at my head--where is the hair? Look at my nose. Good! Played well!
It is those verdomde aasvogels that played. Oh! baas, if you had seen
and smelt them, you would not say that it was good. See, one more second
and I, who have two nostrils, should have had four."

"Never mind, Hans," I said, "it is only a scratch, and I will make you a
present of some new trousers. Also, here is tobacco for you. Come to the
bush; let us talk."

So w