They were not going to stalk them upon horseback. That would never do,
though there are some animals that will suffer a mounted man to approach
hearer than one afoot. But blesboks are not of that kind.
All dismounted, therefore, and proceeded on foot in the direction of the
herd. Not all, exactly. Klaas and Jan remained on the spot in charge
of the dogs and horses. Klaas and Jan were to have no share in the
stalk.
The herd was in the middle of a vast open plain--so wide that the
mountains on its opposite side were scarcely visible. Upon all that
plain not a bush or rock appeared. The grass, as already stated, was
short cropped, and smooth as a meadow--not a break in the surface to
offer a chance of concealment to the hunter! How, then, could they talk
of "stalking" on such ground? They knew that no wild animal, however
stupid or negligent, would permit them to walk up within point-blank
range and fire at them. How, then, were they going to approach the
blesboks, that they had heard were any thing but stupid--on the
contrary, were exceedingly shy and watchful of danger? How? That is a
peculiar point, and requires explanation.
Although there were neither rocks, nor trees, nor bushes of any kind,
nor long grass, nor inequalities in the ground, there was still a
species of "cover." Not the best, it is true, but such as would serve a
skilful hunter who knew how to take advantage of it. Enough to give
hopes to the yagers, else they would not have dreamt of such a thing as
an attempt to stalk the blesboks.
Scattered over the plain, and standing at irregular distances of from
one to three hundred yards of each other, were numerous singular
structures. They were of the form of obtuse cones, or hemispherical,
and all of a light grey colour--the colour of sun-dried mud. On the
sides of most of them at their bases could be seen a hole of irregular
outlines, and evidently not made by the neat workmen who had built the
mounds. Quite the contrary. These entrances to the hollow domes within
were not for them. Theirs were underground. These had been made by
their enemies--the burglars who had plundered their houses. I am sure I
need hardly tell you that the structures thus described were ant-hills,
and that the big holes in this side were the work of the long-tongued
"aard-vark," or the scaly "pangolin."
The hills in question were dome-shaped, and of moderate size--varying
from one to three feet in height. This is by no means as large as many
ant-hills found in Southern Africa. Some are four times that height, or
still higher; but I have told you elsewhere of these high hills, and
that there are different species of ants who construct such curious
nests--each species choosing its own style of architecture,--some the
cone, or pyramidal form,--some a complete cluster of cones,--some build
them of cylindrical shape, and others nearly half-spherical, like
inverted tea-basins.
Of these last were the ant-hills now under the eyes of the young yagers.
They were the nests of the _Termes mordax_--a species that inhabits all
the plains of the "zuur-veldt" country.
The hunters proceeded to stalk forward, their eyes bent upon the
antelopes, and their hopes fixed upon the ant-hills.
Of course they did not commence crouching, until they had tried how near
the blesboks would allow them to come without cover. This they soon
discovered to be about four hundred yards; and although the animals did
not seem to mind their presence at that distance, but continued
browsing, yet the moment any one of the four endeavoured to get nearer,
the herd, as if mechanically, moved off, and still kept a width of four
hundred yards between themselves and the stalkers.
The hunters now began to stalk in earnest, crouching from hill to hill.
It was to no purpose. None of the four could get within shot. They
separated and took different sides. The same result followed--a
failure. Although the herd kept on, and always in the same general
direction, they seemed instinctively to avoid whatever ant-heap a hunter
had chosen, giving it a "wide berth" which carried them beyond the reach
even of Groot Willem's roer! After two hours spent in this fruitless
kind of hunting, the plan was abandoned.
The "stalk" would not do; and Hans and Arend were now sneered and
laughed at by Hendrik and Groot Willem.
"What could _they_ know about hunting? Ha! ha! ha!"