THE BUFFALO 



This weapon, powerful and accurate as it is, the 

 best of the lot for lions, was altogether too small 

 for the tremendous brute before me. However, the 

 Holland was in camp; and I was very glad in the 

 circumstances to get this. The buffalo had browsed 

 slowly forward into the clear, and was now taking 

 the top off a small bush, and facing half away from 

 us. It seemed to me quite the largest buffalo I had 

 ever seen, though I should have been willing to have 

 acknowledged at that moment that the circumstances 

 had something to do with the estimate. However, 

 later we found that the Impression was correct. He 

 was verily a giant of his kind. His height at the 

 shoulder was five feet ten inches; and his build was 

 even chunkier than the usual solid robust pattern 

 of buffaloes. For example, his neck, just back of the 

 horns, was two feet eight inches thick! He weighed 

 not far from three thousand pounds. 



Once the rifle was in my hands I lost the feeling 

 of utter helplessness, and began to plan the best 

 way out of the situation. As yet the beast was 

 totally unconscious of our presence; but that could 

 not continue long. There were too many men about. 

 A chance current of air from any one of a half dozen 

 directions could not fail to give him the scent. Then 

 there would be lively doings. It was exceedingly 

 desirable to deliver the first careful blow of the ^n^ 



^67 



