chap. in. CHARGED BY A HERD OF BUFFALOES. 51 



support a wound through the lungs, as my safety in 

 buffalo-shooting might in future depend upon this 

 knowledge. 



The fury of his spirit seemed to war with death, 

 and, although reeling with weakness and suffocation, 

 he again attempted to come on. It was his last effort ; 

 his eyes rolled convulsively, he gave a short grunt of 

 impotent rage, and the next moment he fell upon his 

 back with his heels in the air ; he was stone dead, and 

 game to the last moment. 



I had thus commenced a revenge for the insult of 

 yesterday ; I had proved the wonderful power of the 

 four-ounce rifle — a weapon destined to make great 

 havoc amongst the heavy game of Ceylon. 



Upon turning from the carcass before us, we 

 observed to our surprise that a large herd of buffaloes, 

 that were at a great distance when we had commenced 

 the attack upon the bull, had now approached to 

 within a few hundred yards, and were standing in a 

 dense mass, attentively watching us. Without any 

 delay we advanced towards them, and, upon arriving 

 within about a hundred paces, we observed that the 

 herd was headed by two large bulls, one of which was 

 the largest that I had ever seen. The whole herd was 

 bellowing and pawing the ground. They had winded 

 the blood of the dead bull and appeared perfectly 

 maddened. 



We continued to advance, and we were within 



