s flight, for no sooner did its hoofs touch the earth
than it swung round like lightning, facing toward its adversary, while
the latter picked itself up and, with four little streams of blood
trickling down its sides, proceeded afresh to the attack. Again it
crept up to within a short distance of the waiting antelope, paused, and
suddenly dashed in; and again the antelope leaped into the air, alighted
upon its enemy's back, inflicting four fresh wounds with its stabbing
hoofs, and sprang away, spurning the snarling foe with such violence
that once more it was sent sprawling in the grass.

This performance was repeated some eight or ten times, until at length
it became quite evident that the antelope was getting very much the
better of the fight, for thus far it had not received a single scratch,
while its enemy's back was punctured all over with wounds that, although
none of them were very deep, were bleeding freely, and in the aggregate
were probably very painful. It was clear that matters were fast nearing
the point at which the grey-spotted beast would be more than willing to
regard the fight as a drawn battle, for every bout left it less willing
to continue the fight; but the plucky little antelope evidently
disapproved of half-measures, and was determined to press the matter to
a definite conclusion, for when his antagonist began to betray a
disinclination to continue the fight he no longer waited for the onset,
but boldly advanced, leaping hither and thither with astounding
rapidity, each leap landing him nearer his enemy, until the latter was
compelled, in self-defence, to continue. But at length a moment arrived
when the feline lay moaning and snarling, covered with blood, and either
unable or unwilling to continue the combat; and then the antelope, after
approaching the enemy by the usual bewildering series of leaps and
bounds, stood for several seconds meditatively regarding him.

Finally, the plucky little beast seemed to come to the conclusion that
the decisive moment had arrived, for, suddenly placing his head between
his fore legs, so that his long, powerful horns pointed straight at his
opponent's body, he hurled himself violently forward, like a bolt shot
from a catapult; the sharp, bayonet-like horns buried themselves deeply
in the grey-spotted, blood-smeared body; and as a prolonged yell of
agony rent the air the antelope turned a complete somersault over his
antagonist and staggered to his feet, be