Scarcely Less Fascination Haunted A
Stroll Down The River Canyons Or Along The Tops Of The Bluffs
Above Them.
Here the country was broken into rocky escarpments in
which were caves; was clothed with low and scattered brush; or
was wooded in the bottom lands.
Naturally an entirely different
set of animals dwelt here; and in addition one was often treated
to the romance of surprise. Herds of impalla haunted these edges;
graceful creatures, trim and pretty with wide horns and beautiful
glowing red coats. Sometimes they would venture out on the open
plains, in a very compact band, ready to break back for cover at
the slightest alarm; but generally fed inside the fringe of
bushes. Once from the bluff above I saw a beautiful herd of over
a hundred pacing decorously along the river bottom below me,
single file, the oldest buck at the head, and the miscellaneous
small buck bringing up the rear after the does. I shouted at
them. Immediately the solemn procession broke. They began to
leap, springing straight up into the air as though from a
released spring, or diving forward and upward in long graceful
bounds like dolphins at sea. These leaps were incredible. Several
even jumped quite over the backs of others; and all without a
semblance of effort.
Along the fringe of the river, too, dwelt the lordly waterbuck,
magnificent and proud as the stags of Landseer; and the tiny
steinbuck and duiker, no bigger than jack-rabbits, but perfect
little deer for all that.
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