SECOND EXPEDITION TO EAST AFRICA 213 



to try this method of avoiding a charge if the 

 necessity should arise. 



In two strides the buffalo was upon me, and 

 from the left barrel of the "450 I fired a solid 

 nickel-coated bullet into his head at five yards* 

 distance, and, as I fired, flung myself instan- 

 taneously on the ground to the left. There was a 

 moment of appalled expectation, and then I 

 realised that the immediate danger must be over. 

 Raising my head cautiously from the ground, I 

 saw the buffalo, as I thought, on his knees trying 

 to rise. As a fact, he was pummelling the Swahili, 

 whom he had overtaken after passing over my 

 body. Tagarru and the others shouted to me to 

 join them, and, picking up my rifle, I ran to the 

 river-bank. This was steeper than I anticipated, 

 and I fell into the river. The Askari, who was a 

 big, powerful negro, and who had, like the others, 

 lost his head, flung his arms round me, and I had 

 some difficulty in freeing myself. When I had 

 done so, I reloaded, and they pointed out the 

 buffalo, which had left the Swahili, and was 

 standing with his stern towards us, less than 

 50 yards away. Firing from the water, I put two 

 bullets into his flank, but he was evidently very 

 sick and did not move. Having satisfied myself 

 that the rifle was all right, I got out of the water, 

 walked up to the buffalo, and put a bullet into 

 his shoulder and toppled him over. 



Subsequent examination showed that the soft- 

 nosed bullet had penetrated the animal's head to 

 a considerable distance, and the solid bullet had 

 fractured his skull, and a stick could be passed 

 through the hole into the brain cavity. The two 



