CHAPTER FIFTEEN.
A BRUSH AFTER THE BLUE-BUCKS.
As already stated, there were seven antelopes in the herd. One, an oldbuck, larger than any of the rest, and having horns over three feetlong, was in the advance acting as leader. When first observed, theywere approaching the grove of mokhalas--perhaps to reach the water bythe spring. So thought the yagers, and held a hurried consultationabout it, as they watched the advance of the animals. Hurried it was,and abruptly terminated, for before they could come to any definite planof action, one of the buck-dogs, a young and half-trained animal, sprangforward out of cover, and opened his bay right in the faces of theantelopes.
The whole seven wheeled round in their tracks, and obedient to asnorting signal of the leader, started back in the direction they hadcome, going at top speed.
Of course all idea of stratagem was foiled by the unexpected behaviourof the dog. A straight tail-on-end chase was the only course left thehunters to follow; and, plying the spur, all the six shot out of thetimber, and rode "view halloo" over the open plain.
A splendid chase it was for several minutes--the seven blue-bucks inadvance, the dogs in the middle, and the "field" following in the rear.A splendid chase, indeed!
But only for a few minutes did dogs, hunters, and game, maintain theserelative positions. The horsemen spread first. The ponies of Klaas andJan fell to the rear, and were soon distanced. Then lagged thephilosopher Hans, whose cob, though steady under fire, and a goodroadster, was no hunter; and, next, the handsome Arend,--who might havetaken a better place, for his steed was a good one. But Arend cared butlittle for hunting, and less for hard riding under a hot sun; and havingpermitted himself to get so far behind that the view of the chase was nolonger interesting, he reined up under the shade of a cameel-doorn, andcommenced fanning himself with the gauntlet of his military glove!
There were two, however, who still rode to the dogs with the keen ardourof sportsmen--Hendrik and Groot Willem; and from a feeling of rivalry,as already hinted at, each was determined to be in at the death.
Both were well mounted, though very dissimilarly. The horse thatHendrik rode was a beautiful coal-black, of medium size, with a dash ofthe Arab in him--just enough to make of him what is termed a "hunter,"--a breed the finest in the world, and for all purposes, except_race-course gambling_, finer even than the Arabian itself.
Groot Willem's horse differed widely from this kind; and the samedescription that has been given of Groot Willem, or one very similar,would answer for his steed.
In size, he bore the same proportion to Hendrik's hunter that his riderbore to Hendrik--that is, he was a full half bigger; but his own memberswere out of all proportion with each other.
His body was flat and gaunt, and his limbs long and bony. His neck alsowas of an immense length, without the slightest semblance of a curve;and his head was angular and "bumpy," like that of a giraffe. He hadother points of similarity to this singular quadruped, in his roughawkward gait, and long-stumped thin-haired tail; and the young yagers,in view of these resemblances, had jocosely christened him"Groot-Kameel," (Great Camel). He was about as ugly a horse as couldhave been found in all the land of the boors; and yet his owner, GrootWillem, would not have exchanged him for the handsomest horse in Africa.
Notwithstanding his ugliness, he was a good horse. In jockey phrase, "abad 'un to look at, a good 'un to go." Groot Willem was no man forappearances. He liked performance better than promise; and the "GreatCamel" was the type of that idea--he promised nothing, but performedamazingly. Many a quagga, and wildebeest and sassybe, had he riddendown; many a stanch buck-dog had he tired out and passed in the chasewith the heavy weight of Groot Willem on his back. No wonder the latterfelt a high regard for his well-trained hunting horse.
Hendrik had an equal affection for his beautiful black; and as noopportunity had yet offered of a fair trial between the two steeds, agood deal of talk had passed about their respective merits as regardedspeed and "bottom." On the question of beauty nothing could be said.Hendrik had the advantage there; and even Groot Willem acknowledged it,at the same time that he sneered at _that_ being considered a "merit" ina horse.
The chase of the blauw-boks seemed to offer the chance of a fair trial.The animals had taken across the open plain, which would lead thehunters several miles at least, as the game was not one to be run downin a hurry. In a ride like that before them, it would be seen whichbacked the best steed.
Both riders were determined to make the most of their horses. Both werewary hunters, and, instead of dashing forward at break-neck speed, itcould be seen that each was "going cunning," and saving their steeds forthe final burst. Hendrik felt that in speed for a mile or two he couldhave headed the "Camel" easily enough. But the bucks had got a goodstart, and it was not likely he could overtake them within thatdistance. He held up, therefore, riding gently, lest in the end thegreat horse of his rival might come out too strong for him.
For some distance the two galloped "cheek by jowl," the dogs far in theadvance, and the bucks still running together before them. The latterdid not seek to escape into the bushes, though they passed near severallarge copses. They kept in the open plain, in a course nearly direct.Stag-like they were running for some water--as antelopes of the_aigocerine_ group habitually do.
But the dogs did not husband their speed, some of them were young andfoolish, although very swift; and before the bucks had passed over amile of ground, two or three of their canine pursuers pushed them soclosely that the herd broke, and the antelopes, in their terror, forsookeach other, and ran wildly in various directions.
The character of the hunt was now quite altered. The pack split up justas the game had done, each dog following the antelope that seemednearest him, and in a few moments the chase was scattered all over theplain.
The two hunters had now a choice, whether each should pursue a separategame, or both take after the same. But neither thought for a moment ofseparating from the other, except by _heading_ him. The spirit ofrivalry, though silent, was strongly felt by both. Even the very horsesseemed to be actuated by a similar feeling, eyeing each other askance,as they galloped side by side!
The antelope that both were determined to follow was easily selectedfrom the rest. The old buck that hitherto led the herd had now gone offby himself, followed by a pair of the stanchest dogs. _His_ horns werethe meteors that gleamed in the _eyes_ of our hunters, and beckoned themon.
Without exchanging a word with each other, both rode after the buck.