SOUTH AFRICA FIFTY YEARS AGO 53 
s = Hlandsomely. ‘More than half those hit got away—chiefly, I 
_ think, from our not having as yet adopted the squatting posi- 
_ tion; but this may be a fad of mine, and our bad shooting 
a are! been the cause. Two days after leaving the camping 
_ ground I have just spoken of, whilst the waggons were moving 
_ slowly through the low bush, three bulls crossed the line 
of march. I was on my horse, Superior, and, with a shout to. 
_ Murray that I intended to make sure of a bag this time, 
_ galloped after them, and singling out one, got alongside of hiny 
_ within five feet and fired. He pitched upon his head and lay 
_ perfectly still. Making sure he was dead, I would not give 
him the second barrel, and turned the horse to ride after the 
two others which were still in view ; but, before I could get 
My animal into his stride, the wounded beast sprang up and 
_ struck him heavily. I felt the thud, but the horse did not 
fall, and cantered on for twenty yards, when the whisk of his tail. 
ed my trousers with blood, and, on getting off, I found a 
thirty inches deep, and nearly wide enough to get into, in 
nk, for the horn had been driven up to the base. - The 
‘was too weak to follow up the attack, and died where he 
ood ; the horse crawled on for a few yards, and then, seeing it 
‘was a hopeless case, I put a ball through his head. 
This lesson early in shooting experiences made me cautious 
buffalo-hunting throughout the whole of my time, though 
have had a narrow escape or two. Coming homewards one 
afternoon, we stumbled into the middle of a herd asleep in 
the long grass. Our sudden appearance startled them from 
their dreams, a panic seized them, and away they galloped 
in the wildest confusion. One old patriarch had been taking 
his. ‘siesta apart from the rest, in a dense patch of bush 
to the right : the sound of the gun and the rush of his com- 
panions roused him, and with one barrel loaded, as I ran 
after his relations, I found myself face to face with him, within 
ten yards. He was evidently bent on mischief. We stared at 
One another for a second. I fired at his broad chest ; it was 
the best I could do, for his nose was up, and the points of- his 
