considered by us as entirely to interrupt verbal communication.
This conversation is accomplished by the tone and modulations of the
voice, as also the distinct divisions in the Kaffirs' language.

We walked on for nearly two miles under a burning sun. The heat was
intense, and my gun-barrels became so hot that it was with difficulty I
could hold the gun. The annoyance from numerous flies and insects,
whose bite was severe, added to the natural irritation that one
sometimes feels on a hot day. Matuan soon showed me a long ravine, full
of rushes and reeds, that looked a most likely place for a buck. We sat
down beside a little rippling stream, while we refreshed ourselves with
a draught of its pure water, and invigorated our spirits with a pinch of
powerful snuff, without which no Kaffir is entirely happy. While we
allowed time for these stimulants to produce their full effect, Matuan
detailed to me his plan of operations. He said that he would go on the
left of the ravine, and, keeping a little in advance of me, would shout
and beat the reeds. This proceeding would probably cause the bucks, if
there, to come out on the right-hand side, and run towards his kraal: he
therefore recommended me to keep on the right side, and look out for my
shot.

We started in the manner that he proposed, and had scarcely gone
half-way up the ravine, when a doe reitbok sprang out of the cover, and
cantered across in front of me at about eighty yards' distance. I fired
at her shoulder, and heard the bullet strike; she staggered and nearly
fell, recovered again, reeled a few yards, and came to the ground to
rise no more. Matuan shouted to me to look out for the ram; we waited a
few seconds, when, not seeing him, I explained to the Kaffir that I
should like to load. I had just placed the bullet on the powder, when
the ram burst out of the reeds, and bounding away a few yards, stopped
and looked full at me. I did not wait to cap the barrel that I had
loaded, but aimed with my second. Just as I brought the gun to my
shoulder, he gave a sharp clear sort of whistle to call his partner, and
dashed off. I let fly at him as he went, and saw a hind-leg dangling
useless and broken. Matuan rushed through the reeds, and was after him
like a hound. I followed as quickly as I could, but, being encumbered
with gun, bullets, etc., was, after a few minutes, "nowhere." I got
occasional glimpses of Matuan, who kept to the ridges of the hills, an