Buffalo 



his forehead, separated by only an inch or so, 

 afford a complete protection to the vulnerable 

 parts, his neck and chest. 



Of all animals in the jungle, he possesses far 

 and away the best sense of hearing. To my own 

 knowledge he will stand for two mortal hours 

 absolutely motionless, quietly listening. His 

 eyesight is also developed to a remarkable de- 

 gree. Both sexes carry horns, but those of the 

 cow are, as usual, thinner and smaller than those 

 of the bull. 



He appears to be going quite slowly, even 

 through thick reeds and scrub, but in reality he is 

 travelling to some purpose. 



Buffalo are found in the most awful places, as 

 a rule, that I have ever struck in any jungle. 

 The first time I came across them was when 

 a herd was concealed in twelve-foot scrub, high 

 up on the side of a mountain. There were eight 

 or ten Masai warriors to help me find them in 

 the gullies on the hill-side, and all of a sudden 

 I found myself in the thick, literally, of a snort- 

 ing herd of twelve or fourteen, charging and 

 crashing promiscuously about. To add to the 

 confusion, an ancient and very crusty old cow 

 rhino, with a calf, turned up. I was in terror of 

 my life, and all I saw was a black object for an 

 instant, but too quickly to make out if it was a 

 Masai or a buffalo. It struck me as being lucky 

 to get out of it. 



H 113 



