A\'ith l-la^hli-iit and Rifle ^ 



and waving of the green stems ; but even from my bigh 

 look-out I could onlv now and again o-^t a momentarv 

 glance at one or othc^r ot the inunense horns ol the black 

 beasts. Soon they had disappeared. I now saw that it 

 would be impossible to hunt them in such a pkicc W ith 

 difficult}' I c]ind)ed down from the high tree. It is no- 

 fun to climb a tropical thorn-tree. A very short stay 

 among its branches gives a very uni)leasant close acquaint- 

 ance with all kinds of ants, whose bit(;s do not have much 

 effect on the lecithern skin of the black, but have a very 

 serious one on the tender skin of the luiropean. 



Two inore davs passed in patient waiting. At least the 

 buffaloes left fresh traces every morning, and did not 

 change their haunts as I had fean-d. The ])lague ot ticks 

 was becoming daily more unbearable lor us Europeans, and 

 at night there was no sleep loecause ol our wounded 

 skins. At last, one very cloudy day at noon, we tound a 

 large herd grazing on a grass-|)atch just within the marsh, 

 and only a tew yards trom the thick reeds. It meant 

 wading through some ot the swampy channels to reach 

 them. There was no cover tor us — nothing Ijut the; reeds. 

 There were some moments of tin; greatest suspense as, 

 on nearing the herd, I had the opp;)rLunity ot ol)serving 

 the imposing picture miule by som(; sixty head ot these 

 wild cattle, now, unluckily, so rare. Tame c.ittle 1 was 

 inclined to characterise them, despite their h^rocious 

 appearance. The thic~k mass of th(^ black, closely ])acked 

 forms as they /ealousl)- cropped just in Iront ol me had 

 something grand and impressive about it. Ihit now 1 had 

 to decide on my shot, and, w ith a b(-aling heart — -I acknow- 



;02 



