A Vicious Buffalo. 327 



heads towered over the vegetation. Their long 

 tongues would dart out, seize some succulent morsel, 

 then disappear for a second in the mouth, and then 

 the process would be repeated. When nearly oppo- 

 site me, they halted. I was afraid they had winded 

 me; but as they scattered somewhat, and recom- 

 menced to feed placidly, I knew that they did not 

 suspect the presence of their deadly foe Man. I 

 might have brought down a couple at any moment, 

 but it was such a beautiful sight, that I refrained 

 from firing. We thus remained for fully five 

 minutes ; then in the distance there was the sound 

 of hoofs, as if some heavy beasts were in a stampede. 

 The giraffes collected together with their heads 

 towards the noise, and with the exception of 

 stamping one foot at a time, they looked as if cut 

 out of so many rocks. But this barely lasted a 

 minute, and then, in a straggling line, some twenty 

 buffaloes rushed past. The leader was a huge bull 

 with an immense head and horns. In a second the 

 bovines and the cameleopards were mixed as if 

 running a race. Directly the stampede took place 

 indecision on my part ceased. I gave the buffalo 

 the contents of the "bone breaker" behind the 

 shoulder, and with the right barrel of the Express 

 laid low the bull giraffe with a ball through its 

 neck, and afterwards wounded another with the left. 

 Leaving the giraffe, I hurried on with great caution 

 after the wounded buffalo, for these animals are very 

 treacherous, and when followed often hide and pounce 

 upon their foe when least expected, and when the 

 victim is so close as to prevent the possibility of 

 his escaping. The wounded animal had turned off to 



