A BUFFALO CHASE 211 



the thicket, we beheld, on the other side of a valley 

 which had opened upon us, a herd of about ten huge 

 bull buffaloes. These I attempted to stalk, but was 

 defeated by a large herd of zebras, which, getting our 

 wind, charged past and started the buffaloes. I ordered 

 the Bechuanas to release the dogs; and spurring Coles- 

 berg, which I rode for the first time since the affair 

 with the lioness, I gave chase. The buffaloes crossed 

 the valley in front of me, and made for a succession of 

 dense thickets in the hills to the northward. As they 

 crossed the valley, by riding hard I obtained a broad- 

 side shot at the last bull, and fired both barrels into him. 

 He, however, continued his course, but I presently sep- 

 arated him, along with two other bulls, from the troop. 

 My rifle being a two-grooved, which is hard to load, I 

 was unable to do so on horseback, and followed with it 

 empty, in the hope of bringing them to bay. In passing 

 through a grove of thorny trees I lost sight of the wound- 

 ed buffalo; he had turned short and doubled back, a 

 common practice with them when wounded. After fol- 

 lowing the other two at a hard gallop for about two 

 miles, 1 was riding within five yards of their huge 

 broad sterns. They exhaled a strong bovine smell, 

 which came hot in my face. I expected every minute 

 that they would come to bay, and give me time to 

 load ; but this they did not seem disposed to do. At 

 length, finding I had the speed of them, I increased my 

 pace ; and going ahead, I placed myself right before the 

 finest bull, thus expecting to force him to stand at bay; 

 upon which he instantly charged me with a low roar, 

 very similar to the voice of a lion. Colesberg neatly 

 avoided the charge, and the bull resumed his northward 

 course. We now entered on rocky ground, and the for- 

 est became more dense as we proceeded. The buffa- 



