All now returned to their horses. Groot Willem's plan was next to be
tried.
They mounted. Klaas and Jan were permitted to take part in this affair.
They would do well enough to "drive" the antelopes, while the other
four would take stand, and receive them as they came up.
All six rode off towards the herd, which, during the stalk, had moved
several miles across the plain.
When as near as they might safely go, without causing the animals to
take the alarm, Klaas and Jan were sent to one side, while the stand-men
took the other, going to their places by a wide circuit. Of course
their horses enabled them to get to their positions in a very little
time. It was not necessary that these should be near the herd. As soon
as they should conceal themselves behind the hills, Klaas and Jan were
to drive the game up; and they were instructed to do so gently, and
without causing the bucks to break into flight. The lads were hunters
enough to manage that point.
The four having got round to that side of the herd opposite to where the
drivers had been sent, tied their bridles together, and, leaving their
horses, walked towards the herd. They deployed from each other as they
went, so as to cover a good stretch of the plain, and then each choosing
an ant-hill, knelt down behind it.
There could be no mistake now. The antelopes, driven by Klaas and Jan,
would come their way; springboks certainly would; and then, "crack!
crack!" would go the rifles, and "bang!" Groot Willem's roer.
This gentleman was in particularly high glee. He had recommended this
mode in opposition to Hans and Arend; but he did not mind that, for he
had rather a contemptuous opinion of the hunter-craft of these two
"yagers;" but what he thought of was, that Hendrik had opposed it, and
should it prove successful after that opposition, it would be a feather
in Groot Willem's _hat_.
That it would succeed he had little doubt. They were all nicely placed.
The two boys had got round to the opposite side of the herd, and once
these showed themselves a little nearer, the antelopes would face
round--they were browsing _towards_ the side to which the boys had been
sent--and feed in the direction of the concealed hunters. Springboks
would do so, said Groot Willem to himself.
But springboks are not blesboks. They differ not only in size and
colour, but in many of their habits; and just by a difference in one of
these last was Groot Willem destined to disappointment. A curious habit
they have--and one which is shared by a few other animals, both of the
antelope and deer species--knocked all Groot Willem's fine calculations
into "pie."
Instead of turning when Klaas and Jan approached them from the opposite
side, as all expected they would do, the stubborn creatures would not be
turned, but kept on most determinedly in their original course. It is
true that they swerved a little to _get past_ the boys; but as soon as
they were fairly beyond them, they headed once more in the same
direction as before.
Klaas and Jan were at some distance from each other, so as to make a
wider front to the drive; but for all that, the blesboks swept past both
at such a distance as to give no chance for a bullet, even though sent
from the long roer. Neither of the boys fired, as they had been told
not to do; and as both behaved discreetly and quietly, the antelopes,
after galloping some distance to their rear, slackened their pace, and
again commenced browsing.
Groot Willem felt considerably chagrined at the result, and got well
laughed at by both Hans and Arend; but what annoyed him still more was a
word or two uttered by the rival hunter.
"I knew," said Hendrik emphatically--"I knew it wouldn't do. Do you
take blesboks for sheep, to be driven about by a pair of boys mounted on
ponies? Bah!"
This was a terrible cut for Groot Willem; but he replied to it by
alleging that his plan had not had a fair trial. It was now plain to
all that the blesboks _fed up wind_; and, therefore, the _stand-men_
should have headed them instead of the _drivers_.
"Let us try it that way. I'll warrant you we'll succeed. If we don't,
then we can do as _Master_ Hendrik recommends; and we'll see how _his_
plan, which is no plan at all, may answer."
There was a slight touch of sarcasm in Groot Willem's tone when he
referred to Hendrik, and the emphasis on the "Master," partook strongly
of the character of a sneer counter to _his_ which Hendrik had given.
There could be no objection to try the thing over again, according to
the mode suggested by Groot Willem; and they all assented to his
proposal. It _was_ plain that the blesboks ran in the "wind's eye,"
else they never would have "run the gauntlet" against Klaas and Jan, as
they had done. Such being the case, the hunters, by laying in wait to
windward, would have a decided advantage, and, properly placed, could
not fail to reach some of the advancing herd.
Should the scheme turn out differently, then they could follow Hendrik's
advice, and ride _tail-on-end_ upon the blesboks.
With these ideas, the four galloped away to one side, and, making a wide
_detour_, headed the game. Klaas and Jan were left in the rear to
follow it up, and force it gently forward.
In good time the stand-men were again placed, and watched the advancing
antelopes with interest. The "blaze" upon their faces appeared larger
and larger, and their broad, white muzzles gleamed in the eyes of the
hunters, almost within range of their guns. But at this moment, the
animals raised their graceful necks, uttered a strange, snorting cry,
and then, instead of turning to fly back, bounded right forward!
Surely they were coming within range, thought every one, as he knelt
with ready firelock behind his sheltering mound. "Good!" muttered Groot
Willem to himself. "I'll turn the laugh upon the whole of them--that I
shall."
But Groot Willem was destined once more to a humiliating disappointment.
As the blesboks came under the lee of each hill that covered a hunter,
they suddenly swerved, and swept round him at such a distance as to
render shooting at them a perfectly ridiculous thing. Groot Willem had
levelled his roer for a chance shot, when he thought of the unpleasant
consequences of a "miss;" and reluctantly bringing down his piece he
permitted the blesboks to sweep past.
In a few seconds the herd was far beyond the place where they had passed
the hunters; but as no assault had been made upon them, and no gun
fired, they quieted down after a while, and once more commenced
browsing.
Hendrik was now the proud man of the hour. He would show them how the
slow creatures could be galloped into. He would run half-a-dozen of
them down before they could clear out of the plain.
"Come on!"
All once again mounted their horses, and rode briskly towards the herd.
When near, they moved more slowly and quietly, so as not to startle
them.
As soon as they had got within the usual distance of four hundred yards,
the bucks moved forward; and then came the "view hilloa!" The dogs were
let slip, the horses sprang forward, and the chase swept wildly over the
plain.
They had not galloped a mile, before Hendrik discovered his mistake.
Both dogs and horses were distanced by the swift antelopes, and both
lagged far behind.
One by one the hunters fell into the rear, and drew up their foaming
steeds; and in less than twenty minutes time, Hendrik alone, and one or
two of the best dogs, held on.
Hans and Arend, believing that it was a hopeless chase for their horses,
gave it up; and Groot Willem _did not wish to succeed_! Of course,
Klaas and Jan were with the hindmost; and they all sat in their saddles,
watching first the purple backs of the bucks, and then the head and
shoulders of Hendrik disappearing among the distant ant-hills!