A PUGNACIOUS OLD COW. 259 



ence and risk reached it. It was now necessary to 

 get the brutes to stand up, as otherwise the length 

 of the grass prevented certain work being done. 

 My henchman was equal to the occasion ; with his 

 hands to his mouth he imitated the grunt this 

 species utter when angry, and both of the game 

 were on their feet in an instant, and gazing intently 

 in the direction from where they supposed the sound 

 to emanate. No manipulation could have placed 

 them in a better position, so I aimed at the larger — 

 a young bull — placing both shots about a couple of 

 hand-breadths behind the shoulder. Down came 

 the mighty beast with a crash. Still the other 

 buffalo — an old cow — never moved; the Zulu 

 placed the second rifle in my hand, and crack 

 went my right barrel. On receipt of the bullet, the 

 stricken beast sprang into the air in the position 

 of a rearing horse, with an amount of agility 

 worthier of a spring-bok, and not to be expected from 

 so unwieldy a looking brute. On reaching ground 

 again, after this aerial exhibition, at a pace almost 

 equal to that of a racehorse she charged the ant hill 

 — about which the smoke hung — and either by the 

 shock of the concussion or getting her legs rather 

 mixed by the resistance offered, over she went, evi- 

 dently much to her consternation. Before the buffalo 

 regained her legs, I fired my left barrel into her 

 flank ; this shot appeared a sickener, for she went 

 off at rather a measured and by no means hasty step 



s 2 



