birds of prey were hovering about. I scared
them off, however, by my shouts; and then passing the bridle of my horse
round my arm, I began in a very unscientific way to dismember the noble
beast I had killed. I did not like the employment; at the same time, it
was necessary to secure the meat. I had been for some time thus
employed, when I heard the sound of wings close above me, and looking
up, saw, with a feeling of no small alarm, a flight of kites hovering
near my head. My horse, too, not liking their appearance, started back;
and not without reason, for they might quickly have torn out his eyes
with their powerful beaks and claws. I shouted, and waved and clapped
my hands. They retired to a short distance, but only to come on again
with renewed fierceness, seizing pieces of the meat and flying off with
them. I determined, however, not to be defeated; and standing by the
body of the eland, struck out right and left with my knife. Some
literally fell back on the ground, spreading out their wings and talons
and opening their beaks to defend themselves. My determined onslaught
on them, however, compelled the first batch to beat a retreat; but
another immediately took their place, pouncing down as the others had
done on the carcass. I knocked over two or three, and the second party
retreated, a third, strange to say, immediately afterwards coming on to
the attack; but they had become so wary that I was unable to reach them.
Still, as they kept about me, I expected every moment that they would
assail my head, and I could not help feeling how fearful would be my
position if they did so. At last I determined to try the effect of my
rifle, which I had not loaded after my last shot--a neglect which might
have proved extremely disastrous had any savage beast appeared. I
loaded with shot. In consequence of my shouts and cries, and repeated
blows made at the birds, they retired once more to a short distance.
The next time they approached I fired into their midst, and a couple
fell to the ground, and others were wounded. Still the army kept their
ground. Seeing the effects of the first shot, I loaded again, and as
they came hovering close to me, I fired once more, with the same
success. Greatly to my satisfaction, on discovering that they could not
obtain their feast without greater loss than it was worth, the whole
army flew off, not appearing to stop while they remained in sight.

Thus being rid of my unwelcome