AFTEE THE HERD. 235 



with its now clumsy stock, in hand, and a pouch full 

 of cartridges for the breechloader, Rigby 10, at my 

 side. Moloka carried the latter gun, and follow- 

 ed as hard as he could. The herd soon abating 

 their pace, I began to gain on them. At last, 

 packed closely together, they pulled up and turned 

 round. Taking a shot at the nearest (about forty 

 yards), I had the satisfaction to see what I knew to 

 be a fair bull roll over ; and before the outsiders had 

 time to turn all their tails towards me, I heard the 

 ball from the second barrel of the big gun smashing 

 through the shoulder blade of a second buffalo. In 

 an instant the herd was off; but as Moloka had not 

 yet come up, I commenced reloading. Ere I had 

 finished the breechloader was placed in my hands, 

 and again we were off after the herd, having no difii- 

 culty in seeing their tracks. 



As I passed I observed the first buffalo I had fired 

 at lying dead, but the other had evidently gone off 

 with the retreating squadrons. However, we had not 

 followed their spoor more than four hundred yards 

 when we observed a single beast walking along slowly 

 ahead of us— evidently from his crippled gait my 

 wounded friend. He had kept up with the herd as 

 long as he could, but was now obliged to lag behind. 

 Following up quickly, I was soon within fifty yards 

 of him, when he turned round and stood broadside 

 on to me, his head turned straight towards us. He 

 did not seem inclined or rather was unable to charge, 

 so continuing to approach him cautiously, I soon saw 

 him stagger, reel, and fall. Stopping but for a mo- 

 ment and seeing he was a young bull, I followed the 



