He could perceive that they were shy creatures.
Every now and gain the buck would raise his graceful neck to its full stretch, utter a slight blearing call, and look suspiciously around him.
From these symptoms Hendrik drew the inference that it was shy game, and would not be easily approached.
He lay for a moment, thinking what he should do.

He was to leeward of the game, as he had purposely gone there; but after a while, to his chagrin, he saw that they were _feeding up the wind_, and of course widening the distance between them and himself.
It occurred to Hendrik that it might be their habit to browse up the wind, as springboks and some other species do.

If so, he might as well give it up, or else make a long circuit and _head_ them.

To do this would be a work of labour and of time, and a very uncertain stalk it would be in the end.

After all his long tramping, and creeping, and crouching, the game would be like enough to scent him before they came within shot--for it is for this very reason that their instinct teaches them to browse _against_, and not _with_ the wind.
As the plain was large, and the cover very distant, Hendrik was discouraged and gave up the design he had half formed of trying to head them.
He was about to rise to his feet, and return home, when it occurred to him that perhaps he might find a decoy available.