54 1>IC, C.A.MK SHOOTING 



shoulders were not exposed. He plunged at me instantly. I 

 fortunately caught a projecting bough of the mimosa-tree 

 under which I was standing, and, drawing my knees up to my 

 chin, he passed below me. I have heard of people avoiding a 

 charge by quickly stepping on one side, but the ground must 

 have been in their favour, and they must have been very cool, 

 and only resorted to this instinctively, I think, as a last re- 

 source. A buffalo, it is true, drops his head very low, but only 

 just before he closes, and he can strike desperately right and left 

 from the straight line, so you ought to secure four or five feet 

 side room. I have never been obliged to try this lateral move- 

 ment, and fear I should have made a mess of it, though I know 

 it is possible ; for I once travelled down the west coast of 

 South America with a bull-fighting man and woman, and they 

 explained to me how, when the 'toro' charged, they stepped 

 aside and stuck the banderillos into his neck ; but they had 

 no bush or smoke to contend with. I have often, however, 

 had to dodge animals round a tree, and once escaped from a 

 borili by catching a bough, as in this instance. 



On our first journey to Lake 'Ngami, when within a hundred 

 miles, the oxen wearied, so we selected twelve of the freshest 

 and started with my waggon only, and some of the men, leaving 

 the rest to encamp themselves and await our return. During 

 our absence the drivers had to supply the party with meat. 

 One of them wounded a buffalo, which immediately charged. 

 The man, dropping his musket, climbed a tree just in time. 

 For four hours the buffalo watched that tree, walking round 

 and lying down under it. How Piet got to terra firma again 

 I do not remember. Probably the animal grew tired of waiting, 

 though they are generally very patient, and willing to bide 

 ttieir time for retaliation. The following short story illustrates 

 the vengeful nature of the beast ; it is told, I think, in Moffat's 

 ' Missionary Travels,' but I have not the book by me, and 

 cannot vouch for the exact words : A native, sitting by 

 the water at night, wounded a buffalo, but not mortally. 

 It made for the shooter, who ran and lay down under a 



