He fired, and the animal, after giving a single bound in the air, tumbled to the ground. While Frank paused to reload Abdul ran forward and secured the prize.
"It's a N'samma antelope," said he, "one of the finest of the many varieties of antelope in Africa. It is well known to hunters in all the equatorial regions wherever there are wide plains, and is closely allied to the hartbeest, which belongs farther south, but is not uncommon here."
"Yes," responded Frank, "we saw one on the day of the great hunt with the Shoolis, and I thought this was the same kind of animal when I spied his horns through the grass."
"The name hartbeest was given to him by the Dutch colonists of the Cape of Good Hope," said Abdul, "and the proper name for it is kaama. In scientific works the hartbeest of South Africa is called the _Antilope caama_, while that of the central and northern regions is the _Antilope bubalis_."
Frank was rather taken aback by this display of scientific knowledge on the part of his dragoman. He had found the dragoman unusually intelligent for his profession, but this dissertation on natural history was beyond his expectations. He learned, on inquiry, that Abdul had been using his spare time in examining the books in Frank's possession, and his latest achievement had been to read up on the antelope question.
The gun-bearer was sent to bring help for transporting the antelope to camp; but he had not gone far when he met half a dozen men, who had been sent out to see if their services were wanted. Captain Mohammed knew the country was full of game, and told the men to start immediately on hearing Frank's shot.
"Keep a sharp lookout for something more than an antelope," said Abdul at starting, repeating the caution as they set out for the return.
"It was not far from here," he continued, "that Sir Samuel Baker had a narrow escape from the jaws of a lioness.
"He was out with a party of natives, who were driving the prairie with fire, as we did the other day among the Shoolis, and had half a dozen of the people near him, armed only with spears.
"While his attention was drawn toward an antelope that was moving in his direction, and promising to give him a good shot, he suddenly discovered a large lioness rising out of the grass within a few yards of the less dangerous animal. She came straight toward his position, and he made ready to fire.