"Oh now," she answered, "I think it belongs to you; never mind about the rule of South African hunting, as the animal had escaped me entirely, and I should never have seen it again or heard from it but for you. You had a narrow risk of your life when you brought it down."
I insisted that the animal was her prize, and that it was not proper to violate the laws of the country. "There isn't much law here," I added, "except that of custom, and nothing can be more binding than an established rule."
"Well, if you insist upon it," she replied, "rather than violate the practice of the country I will accept the prize as mine, and in doing so I thank you most heartily for the share you took in obtaining it for me. Perhaps I may have the pleasure of returning the service some time—no, stop! it isn't fair to suppose that you ever miss a shot, and consequently I should never have the opportunity."
"There never yet was a hunter," I answered—"at least I've never heard of one—who was invariably successful in his pursuit of game, especially of large game. Even such mighty nimrods as Gordon Cumming, Sir Samuel Baker, and others whose names you know, have many stories to tell of game that escaped, not only after one, but after many bullets."
"That's true," she replied; "and I remember how Cumming returned on several occasions after an entire day in pursuit of elephants without securing a single one. Instead of being disheartened at the result it only nerved him to further exertion, and he persisted in the chase until he had made a good record."
Then, suddenly looking at the sky, the fair hunter asked me if I could give a guess as to what time it was. I may remark that it is not customary to carry a watch in one's pocket when out after buffaloes or elephants; the African hunter generally takes his time by the position of the sun or by rough-and-tumble guesswork.
"I think it is along in the neighborhood of noon," I answered—"certainly within an hour of it."
"Thank you, thank you very much," she responded; then she paused and surveyed the horns of her prize, and seemed to forget my presence entirely.
I took this as a hint that I had better be going; so, raising my hat, I said, "I bid you good-day, madam, and hope I may have the pleasure of meeting you again, and possibly of helping secure for you another prize like this."