l and dropped him. It was the cleanest dead shot I ever saw.
A Dutchman, in describing a similar event, said that "the foot that was
in the air never came to the ground while there was life." I gave the
contents of the second barrel to another bull; but he went away
gallantly after receiving the ball in his ribs. I took enormous pains
to skin and preserve the head from injury, and then went down for my
nag, who had remained feeding quietly. He was a good shooting-horse,
and generally behaved well; but when he saw me coming, he gave an
impudent sort of whisk of his tail and walked quietly away, holding his
head sufficiently on one side to keep the reins from catching the feet.
I called to him and stood still, he stopped and fed; I walked slowly
towards him, he walked slowly away, keeping his eye on me with a
malicious twinkle; I ran towards him, he trotted off; and thus passed
half an hour. I found it was no use trying to catch him, for he was
determined on mischief, and there was no help for it. I returned to the
hartebeest and got his head and tail and my gun; the skin I left, as it
was more than I could carry in addition. I then returned to my horse,
who had made use of his time and had been feeding away at the short
green grass. As I came towards him, he moved on as before: fortunately
he seemed to know the road that he had come, and returned on his spoor.
Now and then he would canter on half a mile or so, stop and feed till I
came near, when he would start off again. It was a great trial for my
temper, as my load was considerable and the journey before me very long;
the burning sun was directly over my head, and its heat consequently
intense. I took a pull or two at my flask, and trudged on for upwards
of four hours before I came in sight of my friend's house, this
tantalising rascal in front of me the whole time. I then went to the
stream near, and finding a still, quiet pool, cooled myself with a dip
in its clear water.

On the following day I got a long halter with a bowling-knot at the end,
and cantered this same horse over my journey of yesterday, as I thought
it possible that I might find the skin of the hartebeest fit to take
away. As I came near, however, I gave up this hope, for I saw a vulture
sailing over my head in the same direction in which I was going; I
looked up, and saw another and another. When I came near the carcase, I
saw a regular inquest sitting there, a dozen vultures at least, m