10 LARGE GAME. CHAP. i. 



generally speaking, they form a cover used only for shelter, 

 unless by a solitary bull or a sick beast, and as a refuge 

 when pursued by lions or human beings. No place is 

 more shunned by the professional hunters, who are shoot- 

 ing for hides and not for sport, and from the total absence 

 of trees, the close proximity at which you must fire, and 

 the unpleasant chance of stumbling upon a lion, or, what 

 is even more to be dreaded, a buffalo with an old wound 

 the bad name it bears is not altogether undeserved. 



We were standing by the bank, just after making the 

 discovery that the spoor had gone in, when suddenly the 

 " tcha " of a rhinoceros-bird was heard in the air above us, 

 and on looking up we saw that it was flying high above 

 the reeds in search of game. All at once, when nearly 

 abreast of us, it made a hover, then a sudden downward 

 slant, and lighted on a reed, from which, a second after, it 

 hopped down, no doubt on to the back of some animal 

 lying there ; probably the very one we were after. 



This at once decided me to go in, about which I had 

 hitherto rather hesitated ; and I did so after making my 

 Kaffir climb up a great fig-tree, from which he would have 

 a good view of what went on, and would be able to see by 

 the waving of the reeds where the buffalo was, should I 

 unfortunately disturb it before getting a shot, and then 

 be able to direct me by his shouts. The one thing neces- 

 sary in the reeds is noiselessness. It is not by any means 

 easy to prevent them rustling, or occasionally a dry one 

 breaking, but it must be done, or there is far more chance 

 that the buffalo will kill you, especially if already wounded 

 and enraged, than you it. As an old and very good hunter 

 of mine used to say, " You ought to kill with a single 



