A porcupine he made out, its quills gleaming and rustling as it went down to the water; then a great wart-pig with curved tusks; and next, after a long interval, a fine buck with long powerful horns.

A water-buck he judged it to be from the length of its horns, and it stood there long with its face up-stream, motionless, save for the constant twitching of the large ears.

He rested his elbows on his knees as he sat and aimed at the shoulders, but did not fire, for fear of alarming the camp; and presently the buck, even as he watched, vanished as softly and silently as it came.

Then Venning's eyes closed, his chin dropped, the gun settled between his knees, and he was asleep.
He was asleep, and he was awake again so suddenly that he did not know he had slept until he saw the position of the gun.

The jackal plucked at his blanket.