246 LARGE GAME. chap. v. 



are dry and the buffalo are congregated on the banks of 

 the larger rivers. The gnu and zebra were, as usual, 

 almost unapproachable, and, despite a few long shots that 

 we fired at them, afternoon had come without our having 

 got anything, but at last, as we were crossing one of the 

 long wave-Hke undulations that constitute what in Africa 

 is termed a flat, we noticed a herd lying down about half a 

 mile off, the larger loom of which made us imagine that 

 they must be buffalo and not gnu. 



This, on nearer approach, we found to be the case, and 

 my wise old companion, Umdumela, — than whom a better 

 hunter, or a quieter, pluckier man never existed, nathless 

 that he was somewhat of a miser, and beguiled our ex- 

 peditions by orations on the sin and wickedness of not 

 giving him higher wages, — saying that here, where stalking 

 was impossible, I, in my European clothes, would have 

 the best chance of getting near them, told me to walk 

 straight up, and when they rose, to run in. These tactics 

 were not altogether successful at first, but ultimately, 

 after a good deal of running, I got within one hundred 

 and twenty yards, and fired right and left, wounding, as 

 the spoor showed, two. One of these separated at the 

 first cover, from which, however, she broke on getting our 

 wind, affording Umdumela a good chance, which was 

 wasted through his gun missing fire, and after a hard run 

 of two miles across the flat we saw her go into an extensive 

 ukaku thicket beyond. This time we went round and 

 entered at the top, so as to make sure of the wind, feeling 

 certain of coming across her or her spoor, and the better 

 to do this we separated, going down parallel paths. 



I had not gone far when I saw something, a lioness I 



