42 TALES OF A NOMAD. 



long enough to bag a sea-cow or two and a giraffe and 

 then return. 



The next day I spent in loading a sufficient quantity 

 of cartridges, and in packing stores for our journey, and 

 on the morning after we started off. It was not my 

 desire to shoot buffaloes en route as we should be unable 

 to utilise the hides, not having enough men to enable us 

 to spare any carriers for the purpose of conveying the 

 hides to Gumban. 



But on what occasion does one ever go out with a 

 desire to see no game, without at the same time falling 

 in with the very game one wishes to avoid ? 



Let any one travel through a game country without a 

 rifle, or let him run out of cartridges, or let him travel 

 on Sunday with his mind made up to fire at nothing, 

 and he will be sure to tumble across troops of game that 

 will hardly take the trouble to trot out of his way. 



So it was with us ; we had not left Gumban half an 

 hour before we came across the fresh spoor of about 

 200 buffaloes. I did not diverge from the path to 

 follow them, but at noon we suddenly came upon a 

 group of five old bulls in a hollow. They were right in 

 front of us, about 100 yards off. They gazed in wonder- 

 ment for a few seconds, and then went ofT at the 

 heavy lumbering gallop peculiar to buffaloes. It was 

 almost too much for flesh and blood to stand. I aimed 

 at them, saying to myself, " How warm I could make it 

 for you if I wanted to ! " and then lowered my rifle with 

 a sigh of annoyance and relief that I had avoided the 

 temptation to commit unwarrantable slaughter. 



Towards evening I relieved my feelings by shooting a 

 pallah, for we required some meat for the Caffres and for 

 my two dogs. The next day was a very long hard one. 



