DANGEROUS BUFFALO 



is always on the spot to make sure that the animals 

 do not break away towards the plains where their 

 ancestors used to roam. After a good deal of trouble I 

 managed to secure some good pictures, but it was 

 rather ticklish work. All the time I had to be 

 protected by two mounted men, and be ready to take 

 instant flight. The buffalo does not appreciate the 

 honour of appearing in a moving picture, and is apt to 

 make the photographer understand this. 



I got what I hoped would prove to be some good 

 films, then hurried back to attend to the beavers ; but 

 the latter proved to be as shy as ever, and did not put 

 in an appearance until the light had gone. In the 

 morning we parted company with our friends the 

 mounted tourists. They were going on to complete 

 the regulation round, but I wanted to try my luck again 

 with the buffalo. Dick Randall took me to some high 

 ground above the river, whence we could make out 

 the herd about three miles distant. We decided to 

 work cautiously up-wind ; but on our way I saw some 

 deer, and wasted a good deal of time and energy in 

 stalking them. It ended in absolute failure. Even in 

 Africa I have never come across such shy animals. 

 From the photographer's point of view they were quite 

 unapproachable. When we had seen the futility of our 

 efforts in this direction — it is absurd to expect to 

 succeed every time, especially where no one had ever 

 succeeded before — we turned our attention to the 



309 



