MY FIVE BUFFALOES. 2% 



I did the best and the only thing under the circum- 

 stances. I stood in the open about four or five feet to 

 the left of the tree and awaited the buffalo. On she 

 came, grunting every inch of the road. As she neared 

 me and was within three yards, she lowered her head 

 for a toss, and simultaneously I sprang to the right 

 behind the tree, and she thundered past me. 



She wheeled round instantly to charge me again, but 



at that moment, as she wheeled, C 's rifle rang out, 



and she fell stone, dead with a broken neck. 



" My stars, governor ! I am very sorry for firing in 

 your direction, but it was the only thing to be done,'* 



shouted C . My nerve now gave way and I found 



myself trembling like an aspen leaf, so much so that it 

 was with difficulty I succeeded in filling my pipe. 



It is indeed strange how a man manages to bear up 

 during excitement or great danger, but gives way after 

 the danger is over. The necessity for action seems to 

 brace the nerves for the time being; but when that 

 necessity has passed away there is a corresponding re- 

 laxation, generally in ratio proportionate to the late 

 degree of tension. 



Leaving some of our people to skin the buffalo we 

 returned to our small camp, where we found fires lighted, 

 the kettle boiling and grass cut for our bedding. One 

 of our native hunters, named Inyati, had come in, 

 reporting that he had followed the spoor of a very large 

 troop of buffaloes to a point within two miles of our pre- 

 sent camp, but had to abandon it, as it was getting late. 

 He had come in this direction on the look-out for water, 

 to encamp for the night, and seeing the smoke of our 

 fires had made his way hither. On questioning him, he 

 told us that the spoor trended in the direction of the 



