chap. i. BUFFALO. 5 



I was in a most difficult position, and did not know 

 very well what to do. If I disturbed the antelope the 

 buffalo would undoubtedly take the alarm ; while, as the 

 thicket I was in ended here, I could not tell how to get 

 nearer to him without doing so ; but ultimately I decided 

 to remain where I was and watch. I waited, I should 

 think, more than half an hour, during which the buffalo 

 had moved up towards the other end of the open, and 

 as I feared that when he had done grazing he would 

 take himself off for many a weary mile to some shady 

 spot he knew of, where the breeze might cool him during 

 the mid-day heat, and give me hours of patient tracking 

 to undergo before I could again overtake him, I became 

 impatient to get rid of the antelope. If I could but 

 induce it to move, it would soon take itself off to another 

 thicket and leave me at liberty, so in despair I tried to 

 frighten it. First I whistled softly, causing it to look 

 about uneasily, though it did not stir; then I tried to 

 imitate the growling of a lion, though I doubt if it recog- 

 nised the resemblance. However, it walked out, came 

 straight to me, and stood not a yard off, evidently with- 

 out an idea of where the sound had come from. When 

 I whistled again it saw me, and disappeared with a rush, 

 luckily in the direction I had come from, and away from 

 the buffalo. 



I could still see the latter at intervals between the 

 trunks of some large water-loving trees which surrounded 

 and partially concealed a water-hole, and as by making a 

 slight detour I could gain the shelter of an evergreen 

 bush which stood within a few yards of it, I at once 

 started to do so. I went as rapidly as possible across the 



