THE AFRICAN BUFFALO 



so terribly battered that it was but a wreck of its 

 former self. 



One day, when creeping through the Addo Bush 

 trying to get a glimpse of the elephants, we saw 

 two old bull Buffaloes in an open space. Focusing 

 a field-glass on them, it was noticed that they were 

 smothered with ticks. 



When wounded the Buffalo bull is a most dan- 

 gerous animal to tackle. It is exceedingly tenacious 

 of life, and when smarting with wounds loses all 

 sense of fear and boldly charges down on its foe, 

 and the unmounted sportsman is then in dire peril, 

 for he must either obtain sanctuary up a tree or 

 kill the charging animal, for, should he seek to 

 dodge it amongst the bushes it will hunt him as 

 industriously as a dog. When once he is overtaken 

 there is no hope for him. Numbers of over- 

 venturesome hunters have thus been slain. Some- 

 times when wounded, a Buffalo bull will instantly 

 charge ; and at other times it apparently makes off, 

 but in reality this is .but a cunning manoeuvre. 

 Dodging behind a clump of bushes or concealing 

 itself amongst them, it watches its foe, and should 

 he be so foolish as to approach, it suddenly dashes. 

 out and slays him. Even when a Buffalo falls and 

 lies apparently dead it is not safe to approach 

 without first lodging another bullet or two into it, 

 for it sometimes revives sufficiently to jump up 

 and charge. A wounded Buffalo when dying gives 

 vent to moaning bellows which can be heard a long 

 H7 



