If, however, the vegetable kingdom was deficient, the animal was proportionably abundant, and Alexander and the Major were soon at their speed after a troop of quaggas and zebras, which they succeeded in turning toward the Caffres.  As soon as the animals had entered the radius of the half-circle, and were within distance, they checked their horses and opened their fire upon them; at the same time the Caffres showed themselves, and the animals were for a time confounded by finding themselves so nearly surrounded.

During their hesitation, and while they attempted to break through here and there, and then turned again, several were brought to the ground by the guns of the mounted party, till at last, as if they had summoned up their resolution, the whole herd, led by a splendid male, burst away in a direction close to the horsemen, and made their escape from the circle in a cloud of dust, scattering the stones behind them as they fled.

The Caffres ran up to the animals which lay wounded, and put them out of their misery by inserting the point of their assaguays into the spine, which caused immediate death.  Seven animals were killed, three zebras and four quaggas; and as Swinton had requested that they might not be cut up till he had ascertained if he required their skins, Omrah was sent back to bring him to where they were lying.

Swinton soon came, and Alexander said to him, “Now, Swinton, let us know if you want any of the skins of these animals to preserve.”

“No,” replied Swinton, “I have them already; I just thought it possible that you might have killed a zebra.”

“Well, have we not? there are three of them.”

“No, my good fellow, they are not of the real zebra species; they belong to a class described by Burchell, the traveler, which is termed the striped quagga.  The quagga and striped quagga, as you may see, have the ears of a horse, while the zebra has those of the ass.  The true zebra hardly ever descends upon the plains, but lives altogether upon the mountainous regions; occasionally it may be found, it is true, and that is the reason why I came to see.”

“Are they good eating, these animals?”

“The quagga is very indifferent food, but the striped quagga is very passable; so if you intend to save any for our dinner, pray let it be some of the latter.  Have you done hunting to-day?”

“Yes,” replied the Major, “if Wilmot is of my opinion, I think we had better not work our horses any more just now; the plain is so full of large holes,—­ant-eaters’ holes, Bremen says they are.”

“Yes, they are ant-eaters’ holes, and very dangerous; I have seen them several feet deep.  If we do not start to-day, I will ask the Hottentots to try and procure one for me to-night, as I wish to have a stuffed specimen.”

“We do not intend to start till to-morrow morning,” replied Alexander; “we must dismiss the Caffres to-night, that they may be also ready to go home to-morrow.  They will now have provisions enough.”