Page 11 - Adventures in Africa

wish to reach it. W e must try to shoot one of them

for supper, which may give us both meat and drink.
See, in the wood yonder we can leave oul* horses and
the ox under Jan's care, and you and I will try to

stalk one of the animals.”
On reaching the wood, my uncle and I, with our

grins in our hands, took a direction which would lead
us to leeward of the herd, so that we might not be
scented as we approached.

By creeping along under the shelter of some low
bushes as we neared them, the elands did not see us.

Hunger and thirst made us unusually cautious and
anxious to kill one. M y uncle told me to reserve my
fire, in case he should fail to bring the eland down ;

but as he was a much better shot than I was, I feared
that should he miss, I also should fail. Presently I
saw him rise from among the grass. Lifting his rifle

to his shoulder he fired; the eland gave a bound, but
alighting on its feet was scampering off, when I
eagerly raised my ritie and pulled the trigger. A s

the smoke cleared off, to my infinite delight I saw the
eland struggling on the grass. W e both rushed

forward, and my uncle's knife quickly deprived it of
life. It was a magnificent animal, as big as an ox,
being the largest of the South African antelopes.

On opening its stomach we discovered water, which,
on being allowed to cool, was sufficiently pure to

quench our burning thirst* W e secured a portion of
it for Jan, and loading ourselves with as much meat
as we could carry, we returned to where we had left

him* A fire was soon lighted, and we lost no time in
cooking a portion of the flesh. W ith our thirst