214 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



bullets were within a fraction of an inch of each 

 other in the centre of the animal's head. 



Blood from the wounds on the stern of the 

 buffalo fell upon my neck and shoulders as the 

 animal passed over me ; and as he came straight 

 for me and I flung myself to my full length to the 

 left, it would appear that the gallant beast, not- 

 withstanding the tremendous shock he must have 

 received from the second bullet, must have altered 

 his course and made a lunge at me as I disappeared. 



I was quite uninjured, as, although I had flung 

 myself down with great violence, the sand was 

 soft, and I was, not unnaturally, well pleased with 

 myself. I had shot straight, and had evaded the 

 buffalo with great dexterity. The Swahili gun- 

 bearer was very badly bruised about the back, 

 and was unable to do any more work during the 

 remainder of the journey. Fortunately for him, 

 one of the buffalo's horns was broken and the other 

 was not sharp. The animal also must have been 

 very dazed at the time. The man's injuries, 

 therefore, were not so serious as they might have 

 been. 



Making over charge of the buffalo to Gimlette, 

 I returned to camp for some refreshment, and 

 there I found the man who had been mauled by 

 the crocodile, who was groaning and moaning. 

 There was blood on my neck and shoulders, so that 

 it looked as if I had been injured, and exaggerated 

 rumours as to the injury sustained by the gun- 

 bearer had reached the camp. Even Abdu was 

 disquieted, but I cheered him up by saying : '* It 

 is all right, we have done with the buffaloes and 

 the crocodiles now, and have got to begin with 



