240 THE AFRICAN BUFFALO. 



covert of the bushes, approached the game with such 

 advantage, that the firt>t volley brought down three of 

 the fattest of the herd, and so severely wounded the 

 great bull leader, that he dropped on his knees, bel- 

 lowing furiously. Thinking him mortally wounded, 

 the foremost of the huntsmen issued from the covert, 

 and began reloading his musket as he advanced to 

 give him a finishing shot ; but no sooner did the in- 

 furiated animal see his foe in front of him, than he 

 sprang up and rushed headlong upon him. The 

 man throwing down his heavy gun, fled towards the 

 quagmire ; but the beast was so^close upon him, that 

 he despaired of escaping in that direction, and turn- 

 ing suddenly round a clump of copse wood, began 

 to climb an old mimosa tree which stood at the one 

 side of it. The raging beast, however, was too quick 

 for him, bounding forward with a roar, which my 

 informant described as being one of the most fright- 

 ful sounds he ever heard ; he caught the unfortunate 

 man with his terrible horns, just as he had nearly 

 escaped his reach, and tossed him into the air with 

 such force, that the body fell dreadfully mangled in- 

 to a cleft of the tree. The buffalo ran round the 

 tree once or twice, apparently looking for the man, 

 until weakened with the loss of blood, he again sunk 

 on his knees. The rest of the party recovering from 

 their confusion, then came up and dispatched him, 

 though too late to save their comrade, whose boc!y 

 was hanging in the tree quite dead."* 



* Pringle's African Sketches, p, 271* 



