We now uncarted a fresh cheetah, and were not kept long waiting before we came upon a lot of antelopes, most of which were females and young bucks. At length, after careful stalking by driving the bullock-cart in an opposite direction to the herd, and then slightly turning to the left, in the endeavour to decrease our distance, we saw a fine buck standing alone within 100 yards, as we had not been observed while advancing through the scattered bush.
The cheetah lost not a moment, but springing lightly to the ground, it was at full speed, and within 50 yards before the unwary buck perceived it. Taken by surprise, instead of bounding off in mad retreat, this gallant little buck lowered its sharp-pointed horns and stood on the defence against the onset of its fierce antagonist. This was a pretty but a pitiable sight, as I knew that the odds were terribly against the buck; but in another instant the actual encounter took place, and I was surprised to see how well the plucky buck conducted the defence. It actually charged the advancing cheetah, and stopped its rush. The cheetah held back, and again the buck rushed in; but as we advanced, the poor little beast was evidently frightened at the people, and it turned to run. The moment that the cheetah saw its opportunity, it sprang forward; we saw the blow of the paw, delivered as quick as lightning upon the right haunch, and the gallant little buck was on its back, with its throat hopelessly throttled in the cheetah's jaws.
We were sorry for this termination, as I should like to have witnessed the result, had we not disturbed the fight by our presence. The keepers did not regard the affair in the same light, as they declared the cheetah might have been injured severely by the horns, but that eventually it would have killed the black-buck.
In a couple of days we had killed a number of these beautiful animals, but I became tired of the sport, as the affair was invariably over in a couple of minutes. One thing was certain, the cheetahs were first-rate, and there was none of the skulking and slinking back, which I had read of as characteristic of the hunting leopard.
This style of hunting must naturally depend upon the condition of the ground. We had hunted the localities that were in favour of the cheetah, when scattered bush admitted of a tolerably close approach; but after a couple of days we had scared the black-buck to such a degree that they entirely forsook the sparse covert, and took to the bare open plain, where it was simply impossible to approach them unobserved. This intensified the pleasure, as hitherto the cheetahs had triumphed in almost every hunt.
I accordingly suggested that we should confine our party to three mounted persons and three carts, with of course the same number of cheetahs, and endeavour to obtain some real coursing upon the open plain.
We started. There was hardly a bush upon the wide expanse of level ground, as smooth as a billiard table; only two or three trees occupied this large area, and they were unhealthy specimens, which looked as though periodical inundations had disagreed with them. We arrived upon this great natural race-course, and the binoculars were at once in request to scan the distant surface in search of the desired game. In a short time, as we advanced leisurely, constantly halting to take an observation, we discovered a considerable herd of about thirty or forty antelopes, among which there were two bucks perfectly black; these were feeding upon the short young grass in the very centre of the open ground. The question arose, "How in the world shall we get near them?" It was determined that our three horses should as much as possible conceal themselves on the right side of the three carts, and that they should attempt the approach by moving in a circle, getting nearer and nearer to the herd, as the black-buck family might become less shy, and more accustomed to the appearance of the carts. This plan was cleverly carried out by the drivers, and in about twenty minutes we had, by circling and alternately advancing direct, got to within 300 yards' distance. The herd was all together, as several times they had stopped feeding to gaze at our party, after which they had trotted off a little distance, and then closed up, as though for mutual protection, which gave confidence. We again halted, to try the effect upon the herd. They merely looked up, and for the moment ceased feeding, but almost immediately one of the bucks made an unprovoked attack upon the other, apparently with the intention of driving it away from the females. Instead of retreating from the insult, the affronted buck at once returned to the encounter, and a tremendous fight was the immediate result, the two combatants charging each other like rams, and boring, first one, then the other backward, with the greatest fury. During this duel the herd of females stood entranced, as admiring spectators of the struggle.
Not so our drivers, who, instead of their hitherto wary tactics, now prodded their bullocks with the sharp-pointed sticks, and drove at full trot straight towards the combatants. In this manner we gained a position within half a minute that we should perhaps never have obtained had the bucks remained in peaceful tempers; the females perceived the danger of our approach, and they started off, leaping in their usual manner many feet in the air perpendicularly at every bound, leaving the two stupid males in the ecstasy of a mortal struggle.
We reached a position within about 120 yards before the two fools observed us. They at once left off fighting, and having regarded us in astonishment for half a second, one dashed off to the left, and the other to the right, across the open plain devoid of bush, or ruts, or any obstacle to the highest speed.
At that same moment a cheetah that had been held in readiness leapt airily to the ground, and the chase commenced after the right-hand buck, which had a start of about 110 yards. The keeper simply begged us not to follow until he should give the word.