d
had evidently the game continually in sight. I made several short cuts,
and was only about two hundred yards behind the Kaffir, when he suddenly
dropped as though he were shot, and thus slipping down the hill,
commenced beckoning me furiously. When I reached him, he told me that
the reitbok had just lain down in some long grass over the hill, "so
far," he said, pointing to a tree near.

I waited till I recovered my breath again, and having now both barrels
loaded, I took off my hat, and, telling Matuan to keep quiet, crept up
in the direction that he had indicated. Upon reaching the top of the
hill, I slowly rose, and saw the wounded antelope standing on his three
legs, looking straight at me. I aimed at the chest and fired; the buck
reared straight up and fell over backwards. I knew there was not an
ounce of life left in him, so I walked back to Matuan for my hat. The
perspiration was pouring out of every pore of his swarthy hide and
trickling over his face, as much from excitement as heat; and when he
saw me thus quietly returning to him, a look of despair came over his
face, and he said, "_Yena mukile_" (He has gone away). I merely said,
"_Hamba si hamba_" (Let's be going), and walked to where the buck lay,
completely concealed by the length of the grass around him. Matuan soon
saw the reitbok, and jumping in the air with delight, shouted "_Wena
shiele_!" (You have killed him!) He then sat down beside the reitbok
for full a minute, gazing with delight on the anticipated steaks and
chops that he hoped would soon pass from outside the ribs of this animal
to the inside of his own. He pushed his fingers into the two
bullet-holes, and then waved his arm in indication of the dead doe
behind us; then held up his three fingers, pointing two at the wounds in
the buck before us, and waving one in the direction of the other animal
shot, as much as to say "Three shots, all hit." Then, as though he had
satisfactorily decided an important question, he placed his hand
horizontally across his mouth, looked steadily at me for half a minute,
and said, "_e-ar-nesa, wena inkosi_" (In truth, you are a chief). Poor
Matuan! he had not enjoyed such a feast of meat for many months as I
gave him on that and the following night.

We were obliged to get aid from a neighbouring Kaffir's kraal to convey
the meat home, each buck being more than we could comfortably carry. I
gave part of the venison to Matuan, and retained the rema