GLORIOUS BUFFALO SHOOTING. 109 



that surrounded them, I could not see to fire. About 

 ten minutes after they had drunk I fancied that they 

 were still lingering, and on throwing a stone their step 

 was heard retreating among the dry leaves and stones. 



Soon after this six old bull buffaloes approached from 

 a glen behind us : they walked very slowly, standing 

 long to listen. When the leader came up to within 

 twenty yards of us, Kleinboy and I fired together ; it 

 ran thirty yards, and in two minutes fell. His com- 

 rades, after considering the matter for five minutes, 

 came on once more : we again took the leader, and he 

 also dropped. His comrades, as before, retreated, but, 

 soon returning, we wounded a third, which we did not 

 get. The moon was now under, and it was very dark ; 

 the buffaloes, however, were determined to try it on 

 once more, and coming up a fourth and last time, we 

 shot another old bull. In about ten minutes lions were 

 very busy on the carcass of the first buffalo, where they 

 feasted till morning, taking another drink before they 

 went away. Toward daybreak we wounded a white 

 rhinoceros, and soon after two black rhinoceroses fought 

 beside us, but I was too sleepy to rise. 



On the 26th I rose at earliest dawn to inspect the 

 heads of the three old buffaloes ; they were all enor- 

 mous old bulls, and one of them carried a most splendid 

 head. The lions had cleaned out all his entrails : their 

 spoor was immense. Having taken some buffalo breast 

 and liver for breakfast, I dispatched Ruyter to the wag- 

 ons to call the natives to remove the carcasses, while I 

 and Kleinboy held through the hills to see what game 

 might be in the next glen which contained water. On 

 our way thither we started a fine old buck koodoo, 

 which I shot, putting both barrels into him at one 

 hundred yards. As I was examining the spoor of tho 



