28 LARGE GAME. chap. i. 



about a hundred yards off, and trot down — evidently in 

 fear of being beard if she galloped — until within ten 

 yards of him, when up went her tail, and, lowering her 

 head, she charged, giving him the first intimation of her 

 presence, as he afterwards said, by a grunt of rage as she 

 reached him. She struck him low on the back with her 

 forehead as he was stooping over the calf, and her horn 

 caught in the belt which supported his bandolier, and by 

 this she swung him round until it broke and he fell 

 behind her. Then, without bestowing further notice 

 upon him, she commenced licking her calf, in which 

 operation I found her still engaged some five minutes 

 after when I came in sight, having hurried down to the 

 man's help. On seeing me she faced round, and I shouted 

 to her to go away, for I didn't want to shoot her, and 

 after some hesitation she disappeared with her calf in 

 the thicket beyond. The man fortunately was more 

 frightened than hurt, but had very wisely shammed 

 extinction for the time. 



The only serious injury I ever received while hunting 

 was from a vicious old cow with a calf, and it happened 

 towards the end of autumn, when the calves are mostly 

 strong and well able to keep up with the rest of the herd, 

 so that the one in question must have been born late. I 

 was encamped on the Pongolo river at the time, and a 

 most picturesque encampment it was. There were seventy 

 hunters, and between thirty and forty bearers and ser- 

 vants, and they had built dozens of little grass huts 

 round the great camp, which, in itself, was merely a 

 thorn-fence protecting two sides, while a high bank 

 that restrained the river when unusually flooded formed 



