CHAP. i. BUFFALO. 51 



through which it is equally impossible to go except along 

 the paths the game has formed. It is also exceptionally 

 dangerous, for, while presenting from its thickness and 

 the poisonous properties of its thorns, an impassable barrier 

 to a human being, it is at the same time no obstacle what- 

 ever to any animal sufficiently large to be dangerous. 



Mr. Leslie was accompanied by his chief hunter Unta- 

 bine, and by several natives, and had tracked a herd of 

 buffaloes into this bush, through which they had followed 

 them, and had at last wounded one. This Untabine fol- 

 lowed, while Mr. Leslie with some of the natives went 

 after the others which were standing scattered through 

 the bush, but they had not separated many minutes before 

 the voice of the former was heard as if in pain, and Mr. 

 Leslie, running back and up the path he had taken, saw 

 him lying under the cactus, while a buffalo cow was trying 

 to raise him sufficiently to enable her to use her horns. 



The path happened to be nearly straight, and he was 

 thus enabled to see what was going on at such a distance 

 that no certain aim could be taken; but as no time was to 

 be lost if he wished to save the life of the man, who was 

 an old and valued servant of his, he at once pulled up and 

 fired, and by great good luck the bullet, entering behind 

 the shoulder, passed through the upper part of the heart, 

 and the animal, staggering away, fell dead in a few steps. 

 On going up to the man Mr. Leslie found that the brute 

 had thrust its horn in between his shoulders, and that its 

 point had come out on the opposite side under the right 

 breast, from which latter wound his lung was protruding. 

 This he pressed back with his hand, and closed the wound 

 over it to the best of his ability by the insertion of two 



