MY FIVE BUFFALOES. 31 



great piece of the bark, and went on at full speed through 

 the bush. For this I afterwards presented Pandela with 

 a cotton blanket, so no one can say I place too high a 

 valuation upon myself, but he was highly gratified at 

 this mark of esteem. 



When I came thoroughly to myself again, I proposed 

 to follow the buffalo, but the Cafifres protested, saying 

 that the buffalo was bewitched, and that no one would 

 ever succeed in killing it. However, I insisted on going 

 after it, but had to give way, for they cunningly pre- 

 tended that they were unable to carry on the spoor any 

 farther. 



On the day following this incident my back was black 

 and blue, and I could hardly manage to turn from one 

 side to the other without assistance. Since then I have 

 always treated the buffalo with respect, but have no wish 

 to renew close acquaintance with him. 



I will conclude this long digression on the buffalo and 

 his ways by briefly recounting how a certain Caffre 

 hunter of my friend C 's met his end. 



He was named Umbande, and was a good shot and 

 experienced hunter. 



He was hunting one day, and had a small boy in his 

 train. He found the spoor of a troop of buffaloes and 

 followed it until he came in sight of them. Telling the 

 boy to sit down while he did a stalk, he went forward 

 and got a shot, wounding a buffalo, which separated from 

 the others and entered a thicket. 



Umbande was a careful hunter, and was armed with a 

 very good double No. 14 bore gun. He entered the 

 thicket, and the remainder of the story must be told by 

 the boy. 



His account is as follows : " I heard one shot and 



