462 A FAILURE BUFFALOES FOUND. 



of buffaloes were unusually numerous ; and, having hitherto 

 seen little of that animal, I determined to halt for a day or 

 two, in the hope not only of becoming better acquainted with 

 it, but of having good sport. The surrounding scenery, be- 

 sides, was attractive, which was an additional inducement to 

 devote a short time to rest and amusement. 



The first night that I passed at a " skarm" was a failure 

 in respect of game, owing probably to my being to windward 

 of the point whence the buffaloes were likely to come, who, 

 getting scent of me from a distance, did not venture to ap- 

 proach my place of concealment. A small herd of these an- 

 imals, however, came within range of Timbo, whom I had 

 also placed in ambush some little way from me; but, as 

 usual, he missed, and they all went off unhurt. 



Returning to the camp the following morning, the natives, 

 on hearing of our ill luck, looked so hungry and unhappy 

 withal, that, although I stood greatly in need of rest and re- 

 freshment, I again shouldered my rifle and started off in 

 search of game. 



On this occasion I was accompanied by about a score of 

 natives. A couple of pallahs and a koodoo were soon bagged, 

 but a noble sassaby that we met with got off unscathed. 



^ Afterward we searched long without finding any thing, 

 but the numerous tracks of buffaloes testified that this part 

 of the country was a favorite haunt of those animals. At 

 last we came to the skirts of a dense thicket ; and, peering 

 among the bushes, I presently espied several dark objects 

 on the ground, which at once struck me must be buffaloes. 

 Placing my finger on my lips as a sign that silence was re- 

 quired, and pointing in the direction of the dark objects, I 

 whispered the word "onja," meaning buffalo. Not the pres- 

 ence of his Satanic majesty could have caused greater con- 

 sternation among my followers ; for no sooner was the magic 

 word uttered, than one and all of them wheeled about, and 

 made a headlong retreat. One of the men was carrying a 



