Hunting Scenes 143 



now getting hot, and it was certain that the 

 buffalo must soon be overtaken ; the men went 

 cautiously, when suddenly from behind a 

 crashing in the jungle, the thudding of heavy 

 feet was heard. The buffalo, with the cunning 

 of his tribe, had returned upon his trail and 

 then struck off at right angles to it before lying 

 down for the day. He had heard the trackers 

 and suffered them to pass, but the sight of the 

 elephant, which was following some three 

 hundred yards behind, was too much for him. 

 He rose to his feet and bounded heavily away. 



The buffalo, with head held horizontally, tore 

 through the dense forest ; it seemed impossible 

 that his vast bulk and wide-spread horns should 

 find a way without colliding with some tree, or 

 that his foothold on broken and stony ground 

 should be so secure. The impression produced 

 on the eye was that one saw the whole of the 

 massive head and body at one time ; the fact 

 was, that always at least one half was covered 

 by the thick vegetation. 



In his hasty flight from an imaginary danger 

 the buffalo took no thought of the men who 



