In Wildest Africa ^ 



so faithful to them elsewhere, to put them on their 

 guard. 



Often have my followers warned me of the presence 

 of a " Ndege baya " — a bird of evil omen. Many of 

 the African tribes seem the share the old superstitions 

 of the Romans in regard to birds. Certainly one cannot 

 help being impressed by the way in which the ox-peckers 

 suddenly whizz through the air whenever one gets within 

 range of buffalo or hippopotami. 



The unexpected happens. The two huge beasts — how, 

 I cannot tell — have become aware of my approach. As 

 though moved by a common impulse, they swing round 

 and stand for a moment motionless, as though carved in 

 stone, their heads turned towards me. . . . They are two 

 hundred paces away. Now I must show myself Two 

 things can happen : either they will both come for me 

 full pelt, or else they will seek safety in flight. An instant 

 later they are thundering down on me in their unwieldy 

 fashion, but at an incredible pace. These are moments 

 when your life hangs by a thread. Nothing can save 

 you but a well-aimed bullet. This time my bullet finds 

 its billet. It penetrates the neck of the leading animal — 

 the cow, as always is the case — which, tumbling head 

 foremost, just like a hare, drops as though dead. A 

 wonderful sight, lasting but a second. The bull pulls up 

 short, hesitates a moment, then swerves round, and with 

 a wild snort goes tearing down the hill and out of sight. 

 I keep my rifle levelled still at the female rhinoceros, for 

 I have known cases when an animal has got up again 

 suddenly, though mortally wounded, and done damage. 



448 



