CHAPTER FOURTEEN.
THE BLAUW-BOKS.
After all, the young yagers were not to be disappointed in a chase. Ifthe fox of South Africa gives but poor sport, there are plenty of otheranimals, neither so weak-limbed nor short-winded; and one of this kindit was their fortune to fall in with on that same day, and almost withinthe hour.
On the other side of the mokhala grove from that on which the ostricheshad been observed, lay a wide open plain. It was not a desert, althoughit approached so near to one,--separated from it only by a belt oftimber. It was a prairie or natural meadow, the grass--perhaps fromcontrast with the broad brown expanse on the other side--having anextremely fresh green look.
It was a large plain, though not limitless to the view. In the distancecould be seen a wood of the giraffe-acacia, or "cameel-doorns," boundingthe horizon; and several clumps of these trees, with their umbrella-likeheads and feathery fronds of pale green, stood isolated upon the plain,giving the scene altogether an interesting aspect. A very park appearedthis plain, with wide open pastures between its groves and coppices,many of which were of such regular forms that one would have fanciedthey had been planted to adorn it.
So lordly a park, such rich pastures, could not be untenanted; nor werethey. There was no mansion, no house, not a trace of a human being tobe seen, but for all that the plain had its denizens. Many forms couldbe distinguished upon or around it, both of winged and winglesscreatures. Birds and quadrupeds of rare and beautiful kinds made thisfair scene their home.
Over its greensward stalks the "secretary," the true serpent-eater,hunting among the grass for his glittering prey. Even without using hiswings, he need not fear any of the crouching _carnivora_, as his longlegs suffice to carry him far beyond reach of either hyena, jackal, wilddog, guepard, or leopard. Swift is he, almost as the great ostrichitself,--so swift as to have earned from the Arabs the singular_sobriquet_ of the "Devil's horse."
Not far off another tall bird stands erect upon the plain, but of verydifferent character and habits. This is the "pauw" or "wild peacock,"--a peacock only in the phraseology of the boors, for the bird is abustard, and the largest of his tribe--the _Otis kori_.
Running from copse to copse, or feeding over the plain, may be seenflocks of the pearly guinea-fowl, (_Numida meleagris_), whose constantchattering grates harshly on the ear, resembling the metallic clankingof machinery, or the sharpening of a hundred saws.
From tree to tree flutter gaudy parrots, green pigeons, and soft cooingdoves, and over flowery shrubs flit numerous species of tiny"honey-suckers,"--the African representatives of the humming-birds.Some trees carry the pensile nests of the weaver-bird, (_Ploceus_),hanging from their branches like large fruits, while many of thecameel-doorns are loaded with the vast thatch-like republican dwellingsof the sociable grosbeak, (_Loxia socia_).
But birds are not the only tenants of this fair scene. Quadrupeds, asbright and beautiful as they, haunt its verdant glades, or repose underthe grateful shadow of its acacia-groves.
In a few hours' ride one might see graceful antelopes of many species.The nimble springbok--the gazelle of South Africa--might be observedtrooping over the sward, or bounding high in air either in sport oralarm--the orange "hartebeest," and the purple "sassybe," might beseen--the shaggy-maned eccentric gnoo, scouring the plain in circles--droves of quaggas, or of the still more beautiful "zebra of the plains,"(_Equus Burchellii_), might be seen too, crouching around the copses,the leopard, fair but fearful to look upon; and still more fearful tobehold the tawny tyrant of the scene--the lion.
All these creatures, and many more of equal interest, might come underthe eye of the traveller or hunter during a single day's ride throughthat wild domain.
Thus full of life, what a contrast did this beautiful meadow present tothe monotonous waste of wilderness, that stretched away from theopposite side of the grove to the far horizon!
Baulked in their projected "surround" of the ostriches--disappointed bythe "poor sport" which the fox had afforded, the hunter-boys weredetermined not to be "choused" out of a chase. Some sort of one theywould have, if it were only a brush after springboks, for these, theyknew, they could find at any time. They were aware of the existence ofthe fine plain--the edge of which came up within a few hundred yards oftheir camp. They had pastured their cattle there on the evening before;and conjectured that it must be the haunt of many kinds of game. Forthis reason they now resolved upon making an excursion to that quarter,to hunt whatever might turn up.
They came to this determination, only after their return from theostriches' nest; but as they had made up their minds to it before eatingbreakfast, they did not off-saddle, but kept their horses ready forbeing mounted.
As soon as the meal was over, they took once more to their saddles androde off, the buck-dogs following at the heels of their horses. Congoand Swartboy stayed by the camp.
They had not far to go, before coming in view of their game; and raregame that was.
They were scarce yet a hundred paces from the camp, and just about toride out from the timber, when Hendrik, in the advance, suddenly reinedup his horse, making a sign for the others to do the same. All pulledup in a breath, and sat in their saddles, gazing out through the leaves.Though still within the shadow of the grove, all had a good view of theopen plain; and before them was a sight that would have warmed thehearts of older hunters than they.
Out upon the plain, and directly in front of them, was a herd of nobleantelopes. They were neither gnoos, nor springboks, nor hartebeests,nor any of the common kinds that the party had already met with, and hadhunted to their satisfaction. Indeed, they were of a species that noneof the six had _ever seen_ before, and they only knew them to beantelopes from the make of their bodies, the shape of their horns, andother points characteristic of these animals.
They were antelopes of large size, standing nearly four feet high,having sabre-shaped horns curving gently backward and ringed to withinsix inches of their tips. Their general colour was ashy grey, tingedwith raven-blue--the blue tint being caused by the deep black colour ofthe skin shining through the hair.
Although none of the party had ever seen such antelopes before, Hans,and also the hunters Hendrik and Groot Willem, guessed what kind theywere. They were of a kind that once ranged the Graaf Reinet, and evenas far south as the Cape itself, though there they were never common.That was long before any of the young yagers had ever fired a gun ormounted a horse, but as these remembered having heard their fatherstalking of this animal--of its blue colour, of its long curving horns,of its fine outline of form, as well as bold fierce character--theyrecognised those before them by the descriptions they had heard. Theycould be no other than _blue-bucks_, or _blauw-boks_ in the language ofthe boors.
Hans, after eyeing them a moment, gave this as his opinion. The specieswas the blauw-bok, the _Aigocerus leucophea_ of modern systematists.
Now of the group of antelopes to which the general name _Aigocerus_ hasbeen given there are five species--all large noble animals, and allinhabitants of South Africa, and particularly the countries adjacent tothe Great Orange River.
First, there is the "waterbuck," (_Aigocerus ellipsiprymnus_), whichstands nearly four feet in height, is of bluish grey colour, frequentsthe banks of rivers, takes the water freely--whence its trivial name--swims well, is bold, fierce, strong, and dangerous, when bayed orwounded.
Secondly, there is the "takhaitze," (_Aigocerus barbatus_), nearly aslarge as the waterbuck, but distinguished by a long beard and mane. Thecharacter of the waterbuck for fierceness and daring also belongs to thetakhaitze, and both are swift runners. The latter, however, is lessattached to the water, and frequents a hilly region, browsing goat-likeupon the leaves of the acacia.
The third of this genus is the "roan antelope," (_Aigocerus equinus_), astrong fierce animal, with horns curving backwards as in the blue-buck,but thicker, and more rapid in the curve. It is an antelope not of theplains, but a dweller in the hilly region
.
The "sable antelope" (_Aigocerus niger_) is by far the most beautifulanimal of the group. It is not many years since this antelope was madeknown to science, having been discovered in South Africa by a keenBritish sportsman. It is one of the largest of the race, standing fourfeet six inches in height, and carrying a pair of scimitar-shaped hornsover three feet in length. Its colour is a deep glossy black or sable--whence its specific appellation--though it is white underneath withwhite markings about the head and neck. None of the antelopes of thisgroup are of common occurrence even in their native haunts. None of thespecies can be called gregarious--that is, they do not appear in largeherds, like the springboks, gnoos, hartebeests, or bonteboks--thoughsmall troops of less than a dozen--families, in fact--may be seentogether. Oftener they are met with in pairs, or single individuals,and they are all scarce in the regions they inhabit when compared withthe vast herds of the more social kinds.
The blue-buck is now one of the very rarest of the group, so much sothat some naturalists believe it to be extinct. That is not likely.Africa is a large country.
Now all this information was furnished by philosopher Hans. He did notoffer it just then--that is when they came in sight of the herd ofblue-bucks; though he would, likely enough, had the others been inclinedto listen to him.
But they were not. The hunters Hendrik and Groot Willem were gazingwith eyes wide open, admiring the beautiful proportions of theblauw-boks, which promised them a glorious run.