60 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



I only got glimpses of their heads. So far as I could perceive 

 there were twenty animals on the slope when I came up, 

 and already three of these had crossed the ridge and dis- 

 appeared. Again I ran my eye over each animal as his head 

 became visible. The nearest was, I suppose, about seventy 

 yards off, the furthest under two hundred and fifty yards. 

 There were two I had marked down as bulls and their 

 heads appeared pretty level as regards size, and therein 

 lay the difficulty. Surely there must be a larger bull in 

 such a herd ! 



Patiently I searched the bushes again, starting on the 

 left and working round past the curious forked tree in 

 front of me, until I reached my right front. Ah ! What 

 was that glint ? I waited and watched, and suddenly a 

 black form loomed up above a bush and moved slowly 

 forward. This must be the Lord of the Herd for certain. 

 A fine massive beast in his prime. One long look I gave him 

 and then as he moved diagonally away from me, too 

 diagonally I have since thought, but I had forgotten that 

 I had only the light rifle, I aimed slightly behind the shoulder 

 in the hopes of reaching the heart. The sharp crack of the 

 450 was followed by amazed snorts and bellows from the 

 herd and a general stampede ensued. I saw the big bull 

 lunge forward and then my attention was diverted by a 

 crash to the right. I turned sharply to see a bison charging 

 down directly upon me from about fifty yards away. Where 

 he had come from I had not time to consider then. Raising 

 the rifle I aimed hurriedly at the neck just behind the 

 lowered head with the idea of trying to sever the spinal 

 column, and fired my left barrel. He was within about 

 twenty yards when I pulled the trigger. Springing aside I 

 got behind a neighbouring large sal tree, the bison passing 

 within ten yards of me, being carried on by the im- 

 petuosity of his rush. The whole thing was a matter of a 

 few seconds only, and I was totally at a loss for the moment 

 to explain the extraordinary action of the animal, for he 

 was nowhere near the large bull at which I had fired. 

 Afterwards I came to the conclusion that the animal, in its 

 first rush, was not charging me at all, but only stampeding 

 away in fright and by chance took my direction. As I 

 silently extracted the spent cartridges and put in a couple 

 of fresh ones I listened intently for any fresh sounds of the 

 bull, but could hear nothing. A deep silence had given 



