HUNTING THE PALLAH. 215 



twenty yards of me. Springing from my horse, I hastily loaded 

 my two-grooved rifle, which I had scarcely completed when Isaac 

 rode up and inquired what had become of the buffaloes, litila 

 dreaming that they were standing within twenty yards of him. I 

 answered by pointing my rifle across his horse's nose, and letting 

 fly sharp right and left at the two buffaloes. A headlong charge, 

 accompanied by a muffled roar, was the result. In an instant I 

 was round a clump of tangled thorn trees ; but Isa,ac, by 'he 

 violence of his efforts to get his horse in motion, lost his balance 

 and at the same instant, his girths giving way, himself, his saddle, 

 and big Dutch rifle, all came to the ground together, with a heavy 

 crash, right in the path of the infuriated buffaloes. Two of the 

 Jogs, which had fortunately that moment joined us, met them in 

 their charge, and, by diverting their attention, probably saved 

 Isaac from instant destruction. The buffaloes now took up another 

 position in un adjoining thicket. They were both badly wounded 

 blotches and pools of blood marking the ground where they had 

 stood. The dogs rendered me assistance by taking up their atten- 

 tion, and in a few minutes these two noble bulls breathed their 

 last beneath the shade of a mimosa grove. Each of them, in 

 dying, repeatedly uttered a very striking, low, deep moan. This 

 I subsequently ascertained 'the buffalo invariably utters When in 

 the act of expiring. 



On going up to them, I was astonished to behold their size and 

 powerful appearance. Their horns reminded me of the rugged 

 trunk of an oak tree. Each horn was upward of a foot in breadth 

 at the base, and together they effectually protected the skull with 

 a massive and impenetrable shield. The horns, descending, and 

 spreading out horizontally, completely overshadowed the animal's 

 eyes, imparting to him a look the most ferocious and sinister that 

 can be imagined. On my way to the wagons I shot a stag 

 Bassayby, and while I was engaged in removing his head a troop 

 of about thirty doe pallahs cantered past me, followed by one 

 princely old buck. Snatching p my rifle, I made a fine shot 

 iqd rolled him over in the gras,./. 



