16 LARGE GAME. CHAP. i. 



them in. In ten minutes I had reached a portion of the 

 cover where the game was fond of lying, and was 

 momentarily expecting to find them, when suddenly 

 there came the noise of breaking reeds, followed by a 

 shot on the outside, and almost simultaneously I heard 

 the native shouting out the "strong names" of his gun 

 a sort of semi-religious observance rarely omitted after a 

 successful shot. On making my way out, I found one of 

 the bulls lying dead, and was told that the pair had tried 

 to break, but that the other had turned back at the 

 report, and was still inside. I immediately went after 

 him, and, aided by the openness of the reeds, which were 

 much broken by the numerous herds of buffalo that fre- 

 quented them, I soon came upon him standing, half- 

 facing me, about fifteen yards off, and gave him a shot in 

 the shoulder. Of course I cleared out of the smoke and 

 reloaded, even although I could hear him crashing in the 

 opposite direction. This is a thing that one should invari- 

 ably do on principle, ridiculous as it may occasionally 

 appear to be running in one direction while the game is 

 making off in the other ; and more lives are annually lost 

 by its neglect than by any other accident. I never knew 

 but one old experienced hunter, though it is the common 

 fault of beginners, who did not do it, and that was my 

 present companion, and that he had hitherto escaped 

 may be traced partly to luck and partly to his remark- 

 ably fine shooting and steadiness of nerve, though I feel 

 no doubt that ultimately, if he remains a hunter, an 

 accident will be the result of his omission of this common 

 precautionary measure. It is useless to trust to the ear 

 to tell yon which way the brute is going, for, besides the 



