HUNTING IN AFRICA 123 



the same story; and men are yearly run down and gored 

 or trampled to death by rhino. Buffalo are scarce, but no 

 wounded animal in Africa is perhaps quite as dangerous 

 or so cunning or determined. These facts are well known, 

 and do not need confirmation by anyone. 



Therefore I say again, it is for the man himself to 

 decide whether he goes hunting alone, or whether he 

 takes, to back him, a hunter of tried nerve and a steady shot. 



Mr. Buxton in his delightful book, "Short Stalks," 

 tells (I hope he will not be offended with me for saying) 

 in a somewhat too flippant strain it seems to me, the 

 story of the "boys" adventure with a buffalo on the 

 White Nile. The lad wounded the animal, followed him 

 up, and was promptly charged. Failed, of course, to 

 stop him, and was thrown into the air. His escape 

 was wonderful. Not one man so caught in five escapes 

 with his life. 



Inexperienced shots, intent on making real hunting 

 trips, are to my mind foolish indeed to hunt in Africa 

 alone. They may not be guilty of the folly of certain 

 ladies who have lately told of their extraordinary experi- 

 ences in another part of Africa, and who seem to have 

 run up to bushes where they had seen two lions enter, and 

 only shot at one. Or who took their unfortunate 

 gunbearers into thick scrub after rhino, and as soon as 

 they saw the big brown hide, blazed into it, anywhere, 

 not having any idea whether they were shooting at rump 

 or shoulder. Small wonder indeed that one of these 

 wretched men was gored and stamped to death. Such 

 action is criminal in its folly. The African scrub is no 

 place for a woman anyway. 



The surprises of the country are so many and so sudden, 

 that I should advise most men, to avail themselves of 

 experience maturer than their own. Be it remembered, 

 too, that apart from its danger and pain, a serious accident 



