

chap. vi. CHARGE IN HIGH REEDS. 129 



with dried clods of earth. It was of no use : he would 

 not break cover ; so I determined to ride in and hunt 

 him up. The grass was so thick and entangled with 

 the rushes that my horse could with difficulty force 

 his way through it ; and when within the dense mass 

 of vegetation it towered high above my head, and was 

 so thick that I could not see a yard to my right or 

 left. I beat about to no purpose for about twenty 

 minutes, and I was on the point of giving it up, when 

 I suddenly saw the tall reeds bow down just before 

 me. I heard the rush of an animal as he burst 

 through, and I just saw the broad black nose, quickly 

 followed by the head and horns, as the buffalo charged 

 into me. The horse reared to his full height as the 

 horns almost touched his chest, and I fired as well as 

 I was able. In another instant I was rolling on the 

 ground, with my horse upon me, in a cloud of smoke 

 and confusion. 



In a most unsportsmanlike manner (as persons 

 may exclaim who were not there) I hid behind my 

 horse, as he regained his legs. All was still — the 

 snorting of the frightened horse was all that I could 

 hear. I expected to have seen the infuriated buffalo 

 among us. I peeped over the horse's back, and, to 

 my delight and surprise, I saw the carcass of the bull 

 lying within three feet of him. His head was pierced 

 by the ball exactly between the horns, and death had 

 been instantaneous. The horse, having reared to his 



