AFRICAN SMALL GAME. 605 



valley in front of me, and made for a succession of dense 

 thickets in the hills to the northward. As they crossed 

 the valley, by riding hard I obtained a broadside shot at 

 the last bull, and fired both barrels into him. He, however, 

 continued his course, but I presently separated him, along 

 with two other bulls, from the troop. My rifle being a 

 two-grooved, which is hard to load, I was unable to do so 

 on horseback, and followed with it empty, in the hope of 

 bringing them to bay. In passing through a grove of 

 thorny trees I lost sight of the wounded buffalo ; he had 

 turned short and doubled back, a common practice with them 

 when wounded. After following the other two at a hard 

 gallop for about two miles, I was riding within five yards 

 of their huge broad sterns. They exhaled a strong bovine 

 smell, which came hot in my face. I expected every minute 

 that they would come to bay, and give me time to load ; but 

 this they did not seem disposed to do. At length, finding I 

 had the speed of them, I increased my pace ; and going 

 ahead, I placed myself right before the finest bull, thus 

 expecting to force him to stand at bay; upon which he 

 instantly charged me with a low roar, very similar to the 

 voice of a lion. Colesberg neatly avoided the charge, and 

 the bull resumed his northward course. We now entered on 

 rocky ground, and the forest became more dense as we pro- 

 ceeded. The buffaloes were evidently making for some strong 

 retreat. I, however, managed with much difficulty to hold 

 them in view, following, as best I could, through thorny 

 thickets. Isaac rode some hundreds yards behind, and kept 

 shouting to me to drop the pursuit, or I should be killed. At 

 last the buffaloes suddenly pulled up, and stood at bay in a 

 thicket within twenty yards of me. Springing from my 

 horse, I hastily loaded my two-grooved rifle, which I had 

 scarcely completed when Isaac rode up and inquired what 

 had become of the buffaloes, little dreaming that they were 

 standing within twenty yards of him. I answered by pointing 



