io8 IN THE GRIP OF THE NYIKA CHAP. 



mile and a half. The moment the buffalo spotted 

 me it made off at full gallop in the direction of a 

 belt of trees which grew along the Tana. This 

 gave me somewhat of an advantage, and enabled me 

 to cut off a little bit of the arc of the circle on 

 which he was travelling. Urging my pony to his 

 top speed I galloped after him in hot pursuit. 



How I escaped the holes and pitfalls that were all 

 over the ground I cannot say, but luck was with me, 

 and before the beast got up to the belt of trees I 

 had him well in hand, so much so that, knowing that 

 he was outpaced, he came to bay and waited for my 

 oncoming. Seeing this, I stopped some 50 yards' 

 distance short of him and had a good look through 

 my glasses, when to my chagrin I found that it 

 was not a bull buffalo at all, but a cow ! Of course 

 I had no intention of shooting a female, so I had to 

 be satisfied with the knowledge that I had run her 

 to a standstill. I must say that I was surprised 

 at the pace the buffalo kept up, as I was well 



0i 



mounted, and expected to have had much less 

 difficulty in overtaking her than proved to be 

 the case. 



After this incident my companion decided to return 

 to camp with the gun-bearers, while I struck off 

 alone for some hills which were about ten miles 

 further on, as I wanted to see the country and 

 anything new that might be found in it, either men 

 or beasts. 



