Charged by a Herd of Buffaloes. 55 



ing the ground. They had winded the blood of the 

 dead bull and appeared perfectly maddened. 



We continued to advance, and we were within about 

 ninety paces of them when suddenly the whole herd 

 of about two hundred buffaloes, headed by the two bulls, 

 before noticed, dashed straight toward us at full gallop. 

 So simultaneous was the onset that it resembled a sud- 

 den charge of cavalry, and the ground vibrated beneath 

 their heavy hoofs. Their tails were thrown high above 

 their backs, and the mad and overpowering phalanx of 

 heads and horns came rushing forward as though to 

 sweep us at once from the face of the earth. 



There was not an instant to be lost ; already but a 

 short space intervened between us and apparently cer- 

 tain destruction. Our gun-bearers were almost in the 

 act of flight ; but catching hold of the man who carried 

 the long two-ounce rifle, and keeping him by my side, 

 I awaited the irresistible onset with the four-ounce. 



The largest of the bulls was some yards in advance, 

 closely followed by his companion, and the herd in a 

 compact mass came thundering down at their heels. 

 Only fifty yards separated us ; we literally felt among 

 them, and already experienced a sense of being over- 

 run. I did not look at the herd, but I kept my eye upon 

 the big bull leader. On they flew, and were within 

 thirty paces of us when I took a steady shot with the 

 four-ounce, and the leading bull plunged headforemost 

 in the turf, turning a complete summersault. Snatching 

 the two-ounce from the petrified gun-bearer, I had just 

 time for a shot as the second bull was within fifteen 

 paces, and at the flash of the rifle his horns ploughed 

 up the turf, and he lay almost at our feet. That lucky 

 shot turned the whole herd. When certain destruction 



