CHAP. i. BUFFALO. 45 



enough to follow from the amount of blood on it, and I 

 proceeded rapidly, thinking of the setting sun, till sud- 

 denly I heard a shot behind me, and the unmistakeable 

 grunt, and wheeling round I just caught a glimpse of a 

 buffalo's stern disappearing through the bush. On going 

 back to where the hunter was, he began to blow me up 

 for going on so rashly and so fast, asking me if I didn't 

 know that he was responsible for my safety when he was 

 with me, and what business had I to go rushing into 

 danger when he was there for the express purpose of 

 doing so ? 



This is no exceptional language. Many and many a 

 time my hunters have besought me not to go into some 

 danger, such as following a wounded buffalo up in reeds, 

 or in such thorns as these, urging upon me in the coolest 

 manner that it wouldn't so much matter to myself if I 

 was killed as to them, because the white men on their 

 return would hold them responsible for my safety, and 

 besides, as one muttered sotto voce, " You owe us a lot 

 of wages, and who would pay us if you go and get 

 killed ? " Beginning then in this way, he went on to say 

 that he had followed me slowly, paying more attention to 

 the thicket on each side than to the absolute spoor, and 

 that a few seconds after I had passed he had seen the 

 head of this buffalo protruding from a bush, evidently 

 watching me with mischief in its eyes, that he had 

 instantly fired, drawing its attention from me, and causing 

 it to charge the smoke. 



The first thing we did was to proceed to the spot 

 where it had been standing, and the pool of blood on the 

 ground showed that it was undoubtedly the one we were 



