but raced on hoping to reach the tree and dodge 

 behind it ; a few yards short, however, the bull caught 

 him, in spite of a jump aside, and flung him with 

 one toss right on top of the thorn tree. 



When he recovered consciousness he was lying face 

 upwards in the sun, with nothing to rest his head on 

 and only sticks and thorns around him. He did not 

 know where he was or what had happened ; he tried 

 to move, but one arm was useless and the effort made 

 him slip and sag, and he thought he was falling through 

 the earth. Presently he heard regular tramping under- 

 neath him and the breath of a big animal : and the 

 whole incident came back to him. By feeling about 

 cautiously he at last located the biggest branch under 

 him, and getting a grip on this he managed to turn 

 over and ease his right side. He could then see the 

 buffalo : it had tramped a circle round the tree and 

 was doing sentry over him. Now and again the huge 

 creature stopped to sniff, snort and stamp, and then 

 resumed the round, perhaps the reverse way. The 

 buffalo could not see him and never once looked 

 up, but glared about at its own accustomed level ; 

 and, relying entirely on its sense of smell, it kept up 

 the relentless vengeful watch for hours, always 

 stopping in the same place, to leeward, to satisfy 

 itself that the enemy had not escaped. 



Late in the afternoon the buffalo, for the first 

 time, suddenly came to a stand on the windward^H 

 side of the tree, and after a good minute's silence 

 turned its tail on Jantje and with angry sniffs and 

 tosses stepped swiftly and resolutely forward some paces. 

 345 



