138 AFRICAN GAME TRAILS 



big dogs. A moment after, they gave tongue within the 

 papyrus; then we heard the savage grunt of the buffalo and 

 saw its form just within the reeds; and as the rifles cracked, 

 down it went. But it was not dead, for we heard it grunt 

 savagely, and the dogs bayed as loudly as ever. Heatley 

 now mounted his trained shooting-pony and rode toward 

 the place, while we covered him with our rifles, his plan 

 being to run right across our front if the bull charged. The 

 bull was past charging, lying just within the reeds, but he 

 was still able to do damage, for in another minute one of 

 the dogs came out by us and ran straight back to the farm- 

 house, where we found him dead on our return. He had 

 been caught by the buffalo's horns when he went in too 

 close. Heatley, a daring fellow, with great confidence in 

 both his horse and his rifle, pushed forward as we came up, 

 and saw the bull lying on the ground while the two other 

 dogs bit and worried it; and he put a bullet through its 

 head. 



The remaining bull got off into the swamp, where a 

 week later Heatley found his dead body. Fortunately 

 the head proved to be in less good condition than any of 

 the others, as one horn was broken off about half-way up; 

 so that if any of the four had to escape, it was well that this 

 should have been the one. 



Our three bulls were fine trophies. The largest, with 

 the largest horns, was the first killed, being the one that 

 fell to my first bullet; yet it was the youngest of the three. 

 The other two were old bulls. The second one killed had 

 smaller horns than the other, but the bosses met in the 

 middle of the forehead for a space of several inches, mak- 

 ing a solid shield. I had just been reading a pamphlet by 



