It was a sort of gorge or ravine; and from the numerous tracks of animals in its bottom, it was evidently much used as a road from the upper plain to that in which were the spring and stream.
Certain animals, such as the zebras and quaggas, and others that frequent the dry desert plains from preference, were in the habit of coming by this path when they required water.
Up the gorge rode Hendrik; and no sooner had he arrived at its top, than he discovered the herd of elands--seven old bulls--about a mile off upon the upper plain.
There was not cover enough to have sheltered a fox.

The only growth near the spot where the elands were, consisted of straggling aloe-plants, euphorbias, with some stunted bushes, and tufts of dry grass, characteristic of the desert.

There was no clump large enough to have sheltered a hunter from the eye of his game; and Hendrik at once came to the conclusion, that the elands could not be "stalked" in the situation they then occupied.
Now, though Hendrik had never hunted this antelope, he was well acquainted with its habits, and knew how it ought to be chased.

He knew that it was a bad runner; that any old horse could bring up with it; and that his quagga--the fastest of the four that had been tamed--could do the same.
It was only a question of "start," therefore.

Could he get near enough the bulls to have a fair start, he would run one of them down to a certainty.