Next day the young yagers were witnesses to a most extraordinary
spectacle; and that was, a vast herd of blesboks,--so vast, that the
plains appeared literally covered with their purple masses!
This herd was not browsing, nor at rest, but scouring up against the
wind--as those hunted the day before had done--and evidently running as
if some dreaded enemy in their rear had given them an alarm.
The mass of bodies was nearly half a mile in width; but it would have
been difficult to estimate its length, as it continued to pass before
the eyes of the yagers for more than an hour! On the animals poured,
sometimes running in line, and sometimes the hindmost leaping over those
that preceded them, moving like an impetuous torrent. All of them ran
with necks extended forward, their noses close to the ground, like
hounds running upon the scent!
Here and there they were closely packed in dense masses, while in the
intervals between, the bucks were thinly interspersed; and now and then
were wide breaks, like an army marching in column.
The cause of these openings was simply that the immense drove consisted
of a great many separate herds, all running by one impulse; for it is a
curious habit of the blesboks and bonteboks, that when one herd becomes
alarmed, all the other herds that chance to be in the same plains with
this one, both to windward and leeward of it, start off in succession;
and as all, from their habit of running up the wind, must follow the
same direction, a constant drove, or rather a continuous succession of
droves is formed, and passes in open column before the spectator who may
be on either flank. The wonderful spectacle of so many living
creatures, running together in such countless numbers, brought to mind
the accounts, which the young yagers had read, of the migrations of the
buffalo on the prairies of America, and also those of the
passenger-pigeon. Of course, the resemblance to the "trek-boken" of
their own springboks, which all of them had witnessed, was also
remembered.
On this day our hunters were more successful than upon the preceding.
They had learnt by their experience of yesterday how to "jag" the
blesbok.
Instead of attempting either to "stalk" or "head" them, they found that
the best plan was to ride along the flanks of the running herd, and now
and again dash near enough to fire into the thick of them. The
blesboks, while moving to windward, will permit the hunter to get within
three or four hundred yards of their flank; and the mounted hunter,
keeping his horse fresh, can now and then gallop within shooting
distance before the moving mass can turn out of its course. Firing
among a flock in this aimless way, the bullet is not always sure of a
victim, but now and then a buck fells to the shot.
Practising this plan, the young yagers played upon the flanks of the
great herd during the whole time of its flight to windward; but
notwithstanding the continuous cracking of rifles, with now and then the
louder detonation of Groot Willem's great elephant-gun, the slaughter
was not very great. Six only "bit the dust." But as in the six there
chanced to be an equal number of bucks and does, the hunters were quite
content. They were not "jaging" for the meat, but merely to get
specimens of the horns and prettily-painted skins; and three of each
were as many as they wanted.
The hunt was soon over; and as their horses were pretty well "blown,"
the yagers returned at an early hour to camp, taking with them only the
heads, horns, and skins of their game, with just enough of the venison
to give them fresh steaks for a day or two.
One peculiarity they remarked in skinning the blesboks--that the skins
of these beautiful creatures exhaled a pleasant perfume--arising, no
doubt, from the fragrant plants and herbage upon which the animals feed.
The afternoon was spent in dressing the skins--by removing the fatty
flesh that adheres to them--and they were then spread out to dry. Under
such a hot sun, a few hours was sufficient to render them dry enough to
be carried on to the next camp, where they would be spread out for a
longer period, and thoroughly prepared for packing in the wagons.
Hendrik and Groot Willem performed this service; but the preparing of
the heads--a more scientific operation--was the work of Hans assisted by
Arend. Hans had his box of chemicals, consisting of arsenical soap and
several other noted "preservers," which he had brought along for this
special purpose; and by night, two pairs of heads, with the skin and
horns attached, were thoroughly cleaned and mounted, and ready for
nailing up to the wall.
There was a buck and doe in each pair; one, of course, for the Von
Blooms, and another for the mansion of the Van Wyks.
The only difference between the horns of the _blaze-buck_ and the
_blaze-doe_ is, that those of the latter are shorter, and more slender;
while the skin of the doe is less vivid in its colouring, and smaller,
as is also the body of the animal. The same remark applies to the
kindred species--the bonteboks--of which brilliantly coloured creatures
full sets of horns and skins were obtained the day after.
On this occasion, the "stand and drive" recommended by Groot Willem had
been tried again, and with great success; each of the four--Hans,
Hendrik, Arend, and Groot himself--having shot his buck as the flock
dashed up to their stands. Indeed, Hans, upon this occasion, had
carried off the palm. His double-barrel, loaded with ball, had enabled
him to knock over a couple of the "painted goats"--as bonteboks are
sometimes styled--right and left.
The explanation of their success in this hunt, and their failure when
trying the same plan with the blesboks, is not found in any essential
difference between the two species. Their habits are almost the same.
No. Their success lay simply in the fact, that on the day when they
jaged the bontebok, there was no wind--not a breath of air stirring. On
this account the game were not only unable to run against the wind, but,
keen as is their scent, they were not able to tell behind which ant-hill
lay their concealed enemies.
The consequence was, that Klaas and Jan were able to drive them right up
to the ambushed hunters, who slew them without difficulty.
The "stalk" would not have succeeded on such a day, for these antelopes
trust far more to their nose than their eyes; moreover, a correct
rifle-shot is very difficult to be obtained in the plains of the
"zuur-veldt,"--as the _mirage_ is almost always upon them, and
interferes with the aim. So strong is this mirage, that objects at a
distance become quite distorted to the eye, and out of all proportion.
A secretary bird stalking along looks as big as a man, and an ostrich
attains the altitude of a church-steeple. Even the colour of objects
becomes changed; and travellers have mistaken a pair of tawny lions for
the white tilts of their own wagons and have gone towards them, thinking
they were riding into their camp! An awkward mistake, I should fancy.
After having secured their specimens of the pied antelopes, the young
yagers again broke up camp, and treked away across the plains of the
"zuur-veldt."