How could he obtain a set of them?
He had already formed such an intention.

Where could be their breeding-place?
His reflections were interrupted at this point, by very singular behaviour on the part of the wild hounds, and which gave him a new idea of their intelligence that quite electrified him.
When the hartebeest stood to bay, and the hounds came up, Von Bloom very naturally expected to see the latter run in upon their game, and at once pull it to the ground.

This he knew was their usual habit.

What was his astonishment at seeing the whole pack standing off to one side, as if they intended to leave the antelope alone! Some of them even lay down to rest themselves, while the others stood with open jaws and lolling tongues, but without showing any signs that they intended further to molest the panting quarry! The field-cornet could observe the situation well, for the antelope was on his side--that is, towards the cliffs--while the dogs were farther out upon the plain.

Another circumstance that astonished him was, that the dogs, after running up and around the hartebeest, had actually drawn off to their present position! What could it mean?
Were they afraid of its ugly horns?
Were they resting themselves before they should make their bloody onslaught?
The hunter kept his gaze intently fixed upon the interesting group.
After a while the antelope, having recovered its wind a little, and seeing the pack so distant, made a fresh start.
This time it ran in a side direction, apparently with the intention of gaining a hill that lay in that way, and up the sides of which it no doubt calculated upon gaining some advantage.