The natives immediately collected a quantity, and we quickly pushed
forward to the rendezvous, where, upon arrival, we found a great number
of people were collected.
A line of about a mile and a half was quickly protected by netting, and
the natives were already in position.
Each man had lashed his net to that of his neighbour and supported it
with bamboos, which were secured with ropes fastened to twisted grass.
Thus the entire net resembled a fence, that would be invisible to the
game in the high grass, until, when driven, they should burst suddenly
upon it.
The grass was as dry as straw, and several thousand acres would be fired
up to windward, which would compel the animals to run before the flames,
until they reached the netting placed a few paces in front; where the
high grass had been purposely cleared to resist the advance of the fire.
Before each section of net, a man was concealed both within and without,
behind a screen, simply formed of the long, grass tied together at the
top.
The rule of sport decided that the proprietor of each section of netting
of twelve yards length would be entitled to all game that should be
killed within these limits; but that the owners of the manors which
formed the hunt upon that day should receive a hind leg from every
animal captured.
This was fair play; but in such hunts a breach of the peace was of
common occurrence, as a large animal might charge the net and receive a
spear from the owner of the section, after which he might break back,
and eventually be killed in the net of another hunter; which would cause
a hot dispute.
The nets had been arranged with perfect stillness, and the men having
concealed themselves, we were placed in positions on the extreme flanks
with the rifles.
Rifle-shooting was dangerous work, as the country was alive with people,
who were hidden in every direction.
I took my position behind a white-ant hill in front of a stream which
rippled in a hollow about forty yards beneath me.
Molodi had quite recovered from the wound he had received on 2nd August,
and he carried the basket that contained our luncheon. This consisted of
three bottles of milk and a few hard-boiled eggs, with a supply of salt
and pepper.
There is nothing so good as milk for support during a long day's work,
provided it is used with water, in a proportion of one-third milk. A
bottle of rich milk will therefore produce three bottles of wholesome
drink. This is far preferable to the use of spirits, which are merely a
temporary stimulant, and frequently are great enemies to good
rifle-shooting.
Molodi's basket was arranged with a white napkin over the contents. As
such a colour would attract attention, I ordered him to conceal himself
and his basket behind a neighbouring ant-hill.
Mr. Baker was far away on my right; and Abd-el-Kader was upon the
extreme right flank.
Everything was ready, and men had already been stationed at regular
intervals about two miles to windward, where they waited with their
fire-stick for the appointed signal.
A shrill whistle disturbed the silence. This signal was repeated at
intervals to windward.
In a few minutes after the signal, a long line of separate thin pillars
of smoke ascended into the blue sky, forming a band extending over about
two miles of the horizon.
The thin pillars rapidly thickened, and became dense volumes, until at
length they united, and formed a long black cloud of smoke that drifted
before the wind over the bright yellow surface of the high grass.
The natives were so thoroughly concealed, that no one would have
supposed that a human being beside ourselves was in the neighbourhood. I
had stuck a few twigs into the top of the ant-hill to hide my cap; and
having cut out a step in the side for my feet at the required height, I
waited in patience.
The wind was brisk, and the fire travelled at about four miles an hour.
We could soon hear the distant roar, as the great volume of flame shot
high through the centre of the smoke.
The natives had also lighted the grass a few hundred yards in our rear.
Presently I saw a slate-coloured mass trotting along the face of the
opposite slope, about 250 yards distant. I quickly made out a
rhinoceros, and I was in hopes that he was coming towards me. Suddenly
he turned to my right, and continued along the face of the inclination.
Some of the beautiful leucotis antelope now appeared and cantered
towards me, but halted when they approached the stream, and listened.
The game understood the hunting as well as the natives. In the same
manner that the young children went out to hunt with their parents, so
had the wild animals been hunted together with their parents ever since
their birth.
The leucotis now charged across the stream; at the same time a herd of
hartebeest dashed past. I knocked over one, and with the left-hand
barrel I wounded a leucotis. At this moment a lion and lioness, that had
been disturbed by the fire in our rear, came bounding along close to
where Molodi had been concealed with the luncheon. Away went Molodi at a
tremendous pace! and he came rushing past me as though the lions were
chasing him; but they were endeavouring to escape themselves, and had no
idea of attacking.
I was just going to take the inviting shot, when, as my finger was on
the trigger, I saw the head of a native rise out of the grass exactly in
the line of fire; then another head popped up from a native who had been
concealed, and rather than risk an accident I allowed the lion to pass.
In one magnificent bound it cleared the stream, and disappeared in the
high grass.
