108 Great and Small Game of Africa 



When pursued on horseback, a large herd of buffaloes will only run 

 at a slow heavy gallop, that a horse can keep up with at a hand canter. 

 This is probably because the great mass of the animals composing the 

 leading phalanxes of the herd do not know exactly what the danger is 

 from which they are running, whilst those behind who are bearing the 

 brunt of the attack, and would be inclined to run faster if they could, 

 cannot force their way through the dense masses in front of them. A 

 buffalo, however, though very short in the legs, and very heavily built, is 

 capable of running at a very great pace when so minded. I have known 

 a wounded buffalo cow overtake and dash to the ground a horse that was 

 going at its utmost speed. This horse, however, was old and in low 

 condition ; but it is my experience that a charging buffalo will press the 

 best of South African shooting horses pretty hard for a short distance, and 

 would be very liable to overtake him in anything like thick bush. 



When a buffalo is wounded it always seeks thick cover, either amongst 

 jungle, reeds, or long grass. Unless very badly wounded, it will not lie 

 down for some time but stand behind a bush or some other cover, listening 

 intently and with its head turned looking back along its tracks. If 

 approached incautiously in such a position, it will charge with hoarse 

 grunts when its pursuer is within ten yards of it, and nothing will stop it 

 but a shot in the brain or some other spot, which will paralyse and bring 

 it to the ground in spite of itself. But as a buffalo always charges 

 with his horns laid back on each side of his neck, and his nose held 

 straight out in a line with his back, it is very difficult to hit him in the 

 brain, and a bullet in the chest and right through the heart, even with a 

 very heavy rifle, will not stop him in a charge at close quarters, though 

 of course it will kill him within a short time. Thus a wounded buffalo, 

 if followed into thick cover, becomes a very dangerous animal, as he is very 

 hard to see until you are close upon him, and very difficult to avoid or stop 

 when he charges. Many accidents have happened under such circum- 



