CHAP. i. BUFFALO. 57 



full strength I stabbed him in the nose, the long iron 

 blade going right through it and pricking him in the 

 chest, while he struck me heavily with his horn-covered 

 forehead, and his hoof trod on the fleshy part of my left 

 arm, causing the most horrible pain. But the nose is a 

 tender spot, and he sprang back, and stood looking at me 

 with his savage bloodshot eyes, which peered from under 

 the mass of horn which almost covers the face of an old 

 bull. 



I wasn't altogether at ease about the result, but I 

 knew that so long as I kept perfectly still and flat he 

 couldn't stab me with his horns their formation pre- 

 vented that, and I trusted in my spear still. He made 

 another rush, but not such a determined one, and again 

 feeling the assagai point, he retreated on one side, but 

 soon returned ; this time coming from behind, and catch- 

 ing me between the shoulders. Finding he did not get 

 pricked here, he absolutely kneeled down, knowing that 

 he could not get at me in any other way, and began to 

 pound me on the back with his forehead. The blows 

 were very heavy and jarring, and I felt myself fast losing 

 consciousness, when one of the dogs, all of whom had 

 been baiting him unnoticed the whole time smelling the 

 blood on his nose where I had stabbed him, pinned him 

 by that delicate organ, and soon brought him on to his feet 

 again, though in getting up he trod on me for the second 

 time. The Kaffirs also ran in shouting, and one got near 

 enough to send an assagai into the brute's ribs, on receiv- 

 ing which he made a blind rush, and I took advantage of 

 the respite to gain the friendly shelter of the tree. I was 

 not much hurt, though considerably shaken, and as the 



