70 LARGE GAME. CHAP. i. 



them off when unable to rise is in the brain from behind, 

 between the horns. 



I have before remarked the wonderful tenacity of life 

 these animals display under wounds of the most fatal kind, 

 and another instance of it occurs in my journal for 1871, 

 which so well illustrates it that I will give it here : 



" June 3d. They found an old rogue buffalo in the 

 Daka to-day a most ill-tempered brute. I was sending 

 two messengers into Zululand, and while passing through 

 that bush on their way, it repeatedly charged them, driv- 

 ing them up trees, and preventing their getting through, 

 and it was with some difficulty that they managed to get 

 back and report to us ; but as soon as Dupre heard it, he 

 at once started in pursuit, accompanied by four or five 

 hunters, all sick men, who for that reason were at home, 

 leaving me much disgusted at having to stay behind (I 

 was at the time laid up with the injured knee I have 

 already mentioned). They had no difficulty in finding the 

 spoor, but such an account of the ferocity of the animal 

 had been given by the two boys, that all the hunters dis- 

 appeared in the first few yards got lost, they said 

 except one. He, a very plucky fellow, accompanied 

 Dupre, and they had not gone far before the brute 

 charged him. He waited until it almost touched the 

 muzzle of his gun, until, in fact, it lowered its head to 

 toss, and then pulled the trigger, but the gun missed fire, 

 and it was only by Dupre's firing in the nick of time that 

 he escaped being gored, and was only knocked down ; 

 the animal staggering forward and coming to its knees 

 before it went on. Unfortunately the man was a good 

 deal bruised, and Dupre had to assist him to camp, 



