"Well, we hunted all about, and nothing could we see, not even a
duiker or a bush buck; and at last, thoroughly tired and out of
temper, we started on our way back to camp, passing over the brow of a
steepish hill to do so. Just as we climbed the crest of the ridge I
came to a stand, for there, about six hundred yards to my left, his
beautiful curved horns outlined against the soft blue of the sky, I
saw a noble koodoo bull (/Strepsiceros kudu/). Even at that distance,
for as you know my eyes are very keen, I could distinctly see the
white stripes on its side when the light fell upon it, and its large
and pointed ears twitch as the flies worried it.

"So far so good; but how were we to get at it? It was ridiculous to
risk a shot at that great distance, and yet both the ground and the
wind lay very ill for stalking. It seemed to me that the only chance
would be to make a detour of at least a mile or more, and come up on
the other side of the koodoo. I called Harry to my side, and explained
to him what I thought would be our best course, when suddenly, without
any delay, the koodoo saved us further trouble by suddenly starting
off down the hill like a leaping rocket. I do not know what had
frightened it, certainly we had not. Perhaps a hyæna or a leopard--a
tiger as we call it there--had suddenly appeared; at any rate, off it
went, running slightly towards us, and I never saw a buck go faster. I
am afraid that forgetting Harry's presence I used strong language, and
really there was some excuse. As for Harry, he stood watching the
beautiful animal's course. Presently it vanished behind a patch of
bush, to emerge a few seconds later about five hundred paces from us,
on a stretch of comparatively level ground that was strewn with
boulders. On it went, clearing the boulders in its path with a
succession of great bounds that were beautiful to behold. As it did