258 THROUGH GASA LAND. 



sharp outlines of the spoor ; thus I was able to 

 discern that many a mighty bull elephant and un- 

 wieldy rhinoceros had honoured these thoroughfares 

 by traversing them. 



A mile or more off glistened the surface of a 

 placid river, the banks of which were graced with an 

 abundant crop of reeds, so towards it I directed my 

 steps ; such places are always the favoured haunts of 

 buffalo, especially during the heat of the mid-day sun. 

 While debating in my mind what would be the best 

 plan to accomplish my purpose without exposing 

 myself to unnecessary danger — for I repeat, so as to 

 impress it upon the minds of sportsmen, that I con- 

 sider the Cape buffalo the most dangerous animal to 

 be found in this part of the world — my attention was 

 called to two of these animals lying down, just out- 

 side of, but on the margin of the reeds. The wind 

 exactly suited, and several ant hills lay between me 

 and them, ant hills not of the size of bushel baskets, 

 but goodly structures between four and five feet high. 

 Our approach was made with great stealth, the 

 Zulu leading, your humble servant next, and the 

 Mashoona at his heels. I was shooting with poor 

 Selwin's rifle, which was a much superior weapon 

 in precision to my own, when firing heavy charges 

 of powder, while my Zulu carried my own weapon. 

 Within forty yards of the cattle were two'ant hills, 

 both equally distant from them ; that to the left we 

 selected for our ambush, and with little inconveni- 



