BULL BUFFALO. 241 



narrated by him to me when trekking one night 

 between Bamanwato and the Matabele country. 

 But before doing so you must remember that he 

 speaks English as fluently as I can myself. 



"You remember, Bass, 'my lord,' so the person 

 was called by all his friends and acquaintances, from 

 the gorgeous apparel he wore and the eccentricity of 

 the mannerism he ever adopted ; but these absurdities 

 covered a brave and kind heart. Well, we were in 

 Mashoona Land together, he having trekked up from 

 Bamanwato to Bulwio, where he joined me; for I was 

 then trading for ivory in the Matabele country. Game 

 had become a little scarce, for much shooting had 

 been done in the neighbourhood ; so, as we had a 

 large following of attendants, we were not very 

 particular what fell to our rifles as long as it filled 

 the pot. 



" As I had secreted several elephants' tusks in an 

 adjoining sand river, I resolved to take some of my 

 people with me and go and bring them in. When 

 about to start * my lord ' joined me, armed with his 

 Express rifle, with the hope that he might pick up 

 a bok by the way. We had about completed our 

 tramp, when we came across an old bull buffalo, whose 



