

MY FIVE BUFFALOES. 2$ 



to obey the suggestions of an infant like that ? " he cried 

 " a mere boy ! I had already perceived the lion and 

 was waiting for a favourable opportunity to shoot him 

 dead, when this boy spoke and irritated me beyond 

 endurance. I am inspired to do great actions by the 

 Fates, and am constantly under their tutelage ; but were 

 I once to obey the suggestions of a boy like this, the 

 Fates, would refuse to have anything further to do with 

 me. I obey that boy ! not likely indeed." 



However, Inyati's caution was exceeded by that of 

 another Caffre I once knew. I was hunting on the Usutu 

 at the time and had observed the spoor of a large bull 

 hippopotamus in the dense belt of reeds which fringed 

 that river. Thinking it very probable that the hippo 

 would sleep in the reeds during the heat of the day, I 

 instructed this Caffre to take a large bored gun and 

 search for the hippo. I was engaged in hunting buffaloes 

 at the time and could not spare time to seek for the 

 hippo. 



The Caffre came into camp the same evening and 

 laying down his gun squatted before me in a despondent 

 attitude. 



"Well what luck ? " I asked. 



" Bad, 'nkos, very bad." 



" Did you find the spoor of the hippo ? " 



" Yes, 'nkos ; I found it, and followed it up and up 

 and up until I came upon him fast asleep in the reeds. 

 He had turned round, and had lain down with his face 

 in the direction he had come from." 



I must here observe that a hippo as a rule returns to 

 the river by the very same path he came by from the 

 river. 



" Well, and what did you do ? " 



