48 LARGE GAME. CHAP. i. 



momentarily expected to find the animal, but, probably 

 wishing to cool itself in the river, it kept on, and at last 

 crossed at a deep and nasty ford, where it was with great 

 difficulty that we could keep our footing. The water was 

 low, and on the opposite side several hundred yards of 

 shingle absolutely concealed the track ; this again was 

 bounded by one of those dense masses of overgrown ever- 

 greens that line most of the river-banks. As, however, 

 it was only ten or twelve feet broad, and the buffalo had 

 already passed through so many places where it might 

 naturally have stopped, we did not imagine that it would 

 remain here, and sending the hunter on the outside to 

 search for the spoor leaving it, I went below, and in a 

 few minutes found where it had gone in. 



After following it for some twenty yards I came to 

 a place so dense that I could not easily force my way 

 through, although the buffalo had done so, and as there 

 was a small opening immediately beyond, I came outside 

 again, intending to pick up the spoor on the other side. 

 Just as I did so, one of the dogs ran in, and instantly a 

 yelp, followed by a grunt of rage, and by the heavy 

 breaking of the branches, showed that we had at last 

 overtaken it. Away went the unarmed natives to the 

 trees for shelter, and as I ran up the open I caught sight 

 of the brute charging my hunter, with half-a-dozen dogs 

 jumping round it. I had no time to fire myself, but just 

 as the animal seemed to me to have reached him he 

 did so, and jumping round the bush by which he was, 

 he threw himself down, while the buffalo, passing through 

 the smoke, galloped into a thorn thicket one or two 

 hundred yards off, where it came to bay with the dogs. 



