24 LARGE GAME. chap. i. 



and other grains to exchange for meat, but mostly to carry- 

 off whatever we might leave ; and as all the hunters had 

 to return with them to the scene of yesterday's shooting, 

 to see that their hides were properly looked after, I went 

 out by myself, merely accompanied by a boy of ten or 

 twelve, then acting for my water-bearer who was laid up 

 with fever. It was a tremendously hot day, and I could 

 see no fresh spoor, so, soon after noon, I lay down under 

 the shade of a euphorbia, thinking I might rest a little 

 until the cooler afternoon should bring the water-antelopes 

 out of the reeds and thickets in which they lie. Of course, 

 I dropt off asleep, and did not awake until I was roused 

 by my boy shaking me. " What 's the matter ?" I asked 

 as I rubbed my eyes. " There 's something going on over 

 there," he answered, and then I noticed for the first time 

 that the little fellow looked very frightened. He had 

 hardly uttered the words, when there came a tremendous 

 thud, and then a loud clattering sound, seemingly arising 

 from some thickets a few hundred yards off; I had never 

 heard anything like it before, nor had the boy, though he 

 had been born and bred among game, and it was his igno- 

 rance of the cause that was making him frightened; so when 

 I heard it again I took up my gun, gave him a hoist into the 

 tree, telling him to keep quiet till I came back, and went to 

 look. The sound was repeated at short intervals, and as I 

 got nearer I could distinguish the tramp of heavy hoofs, so 

 that I was not altogether surprised when I saw what it was. 

 On looking through the edge of the last thicket which 

 concealed them, I saw two buffalo bulls standing facing 

 each other with lowered heads, and, as I sat down to 

 watch, they rushed together with all their force, producing 



