chap. vi. CHARACTER OF THE WILD BUFFALO. 123 



gun close to me in readiness, I began to load my two 



big rifles. In the mean time the bull was advancing 



step by step with an expression of determined malice, 



and my Cingalese servant, in an abject state of fright, 



was imploring me to run — simply as an excuse for his 



own flight. ' Buffalo's coming, sar ! Master, run 



plenty, quick ! Buffalo's coming, sar ! Master, get big 



tree ! ' I could not turn to silence the fellow, but I 



caught him a fine backward kick upon the shins with 



my heel, which stopped him, and in a few seconds I 



was loaded and the four-ounce was in my hand. The 



bull, at this time, was not fifteen yards from me ; but, 



just as I was going to fire, I saw him reel to one side ; 



and in another moment he rolled upon his back, a 



dead buffalo, although I had not fired after my first 



shot. The ball, having entered his chest, was sticking 



in the skin of his haunch, having passed through his 



lungs. His wonderful pluck had kept him upon his 



legs until life was extinct. 



I am almost tired of recounting so many instances 



of the courage of these beasts. When I look back to 



those scenes, so many ghosts of victims rise up before 



me that, were I to relate one-half their histories, it 



would fill a volume. The object in describing these 



encounters is to show the style of animal that the 



buffalo is in his natural state. I could relate a hundred 



instances where they have died like curs, and have 



afforded no more sport than tame cows ; but I merely 



K 



