. Ay, and there were animals of some sort up there now! The
professor rushed below, and presently reappeared with a pair of
binoculars in his hand, which he hastily levelled at the tiny dots.
Alas! they were only black antelope, interesting creatures enough from
the mere sportsman's point of view, but not what he wanted and hoped to
see. He lowered the glasses with a sigh of resignation, which said as
plainly as words, that he supposed it was too much to hope that they
would be lucky enough to find instantly what they were in search of.

And while they stood chatting together the ladies and little Ida stepped
out on deck and joined them; and then there were renewed exclamations of
wonder and delight at the change from the desert scenery upon which they
had gazed the day before, and for so many days previously that they had
begun to tire of it slightly.

The air was rapidly becoming heated under the rays of a sun that would
be very nearly vertical at noon; at Mildmay's suggestion, therefore, the
men of the party busied themselves forthwith in spreading the awnings
fore and aft, that the ladies might have a welcome shade under which to
sit during the day, and while they were still tying the last lanyards
the breakfast-gong sounded, and five minutes later the entire party was
gathered round the breakfast-table in a condition of exuberantly buoyant
spirits.

No one felt disposed to linger long over the meal that morning, and
within half an hour everybody was again on deck, each provided with a
pair of binoculars, while the men folk--attired in stalking suits of
thin but tough grey-green tweed, consisting of Norfolk jacket and
knickerbockers, with caps of the same material, and shod with stout
boots, surmounted by thick leather gaiters reaching to the knee, as a
protection against possible snake-bites--had taken the precaution to
bring up their rifles and bandoliers with them, in order that they might
be ready for any emergency.

Their first act was to sweep the entire visible surface of the country
with their glasses; but nothing more interesting than a few bunches of
deer and antelope were to be seen. This, however, was not to be very
greatly wondered at, for the ground was so heavily encumbered with bush
that comparatively little of it was to be seen. It was perfectly clear
that if they wished to find game, they must go and look for it. And
there were two ways of doing this. One was to sally forth on foot;
whil