Lodges in the WildernessScully, W. C. (William Charles)
History
Lodges in the Wilderness
Scully, W. C. (William Charles)
Natural history -- South Africa; South Africa -- Description and travel
We remounted and cantered along close to the base of the dune until we
were abreast of the centre of the herd--only the dune separating us from
it. Here Andries remained, while I rode on for about half a mile
further. This brought me to a spot just ahead of the foremost of the
game. It had been agreed that when I reached this spot Andries would
cross the dune and open his attack. As soon as the herd was on the
move, I would begin mine.
I dismounted, tied old Prince to a shrub, climbed the dune and laid
myself flat on the top. Just to my left were the springbuck, grazing
quietly and utterly unsuspicious of danger. They appeared to be all
rams. This we expected, for most of the rams congregate in separate
herds in the trek season. Some were grazing within less than two
hundred yards of me.
When Andries' rifle spoke a thrill ran through the multitude. Looking
to the left I saw the bucks beginning to stream in my direction, but the
impulse had not yet been communicated to those at my end of the herd.
Rythmically the impetus of flight developed towards me. Now all were on
the move. I fired and a buck rolled over. Then I descended from the
dune and ran forward into the plain.
The herd was now streaming past me from the direction in which the knell
of Andries' regular bombardment sounded. The dense stream bent in its
course before my advance, and for a few minutes took the form of a
crescent at a distance of about four hundred yards. It was as though I
were firing at a wall. Once I got my range nearly every bullet thudded.
Soon the last of the stream flowed past, but its course for several
hundred yards was marked by prone white and fawn forms.
Andries was busy collecting his dead at a spot about eight hundred yards
away. I re-crossed the dune and led Prince over it at a flounder. Soon
Andries came cantering up, his hands and arms red with the blood of the
slain. He had killed eight bucks. I had had better chances and a
longer innings, so my bag was larger, but I did not as yet know to what
extent.
The sun was now almost down; my spoil was scattered over a large area.
It was decided that I should gather up my dead, load the carcases upon
Prince and convey them to where Andries had piled his. He started off
to fetch the wagon. The team would now number only six, but the wagon
was light, for the horses had consumed most of the grain. I loaded up
three carcases and deposited them on the heap formed by those of
Andries. Another load of three I also fetched. But night was rapidly
falling so I could only negotiate one more load. This time I piled up
four. When I reached the carcases depot there was little or no light.
However, as long as it was possible to see what I was doing, I collected
candle-bushes. The result, however, was lamentably meagre.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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