AN EXPLOEATION IN THE FAE EAST 331 



recruit our followers and shoot. Our camp was pitched 

 below a great spreading tree at the deserted site of the 

 village of Jilda. Eaten up by the buffaloes, the people had 

 moved off to a less open space. Around us was a sea of 

 long grass, bounded by low hiUs and sal forests on the far 

 horizon. Here our poor fever-stricken people paraded 

 themselves in rows to let the sun into their shivering bones, 

 and three times a day got a dose of quinine all round, a 

 course of treatment (preceded by a smart dose of jalap) 

 which soon frees a native from this hot-weather fever. 



When marching in the morniag, about a couple of miles 

 from camp we saw a herd of fifty or sixty buffaloes standing 

 up to their knees in a swamp among long grass. It was 

 B.'s turn for the shot, and we spent several hoiirs trying to 

 get near enough to shoot. The buffaloes were very wild, 

 having been much fired at a few weeks before by a sports- 

 man with long-range small-bore rifles. As we approached 

 on one side they waded through the swamp and went 

 out on the other, reversing the process when we changed 

 the direction of approach. At last I got on my horse, and 

 took a hght breech-loading gun, to try and get round and 

 drive them across to B. They now got alarmed, and made 

 off towards the head of the swamp ; and on our following 

 them on either bank, left it altogether, and started at 

 their best pace across a rising ground. The ground seemed 

 very favourable for riding for that country, so I could not 

 resist the temptation to breathe my httle nag at them, and 

 was soon galloping full speed in their rear. My animal was 

 an Arab pony, about thirteen three in height, but game as 

 a bantam, and wonderfully sure-footed over bad ground. 

 To my surprise and dehght, I found myself ahead of them 

 in less than half a mile ; and, shooting past, looked out for 

 a worthy quarry among the labouring mass. I fixed on a 

 buU with long horns, whose shining tips danced in the 

 sunlight conspicuous above them all, and was just ranging 

 alongside to fire when a tremendous bound of my httle nag 

 nearly unseated me, and we just escaped the long pointed 

 horns of a lean brute of a cow that shot past my quarter, 

 and then pulled up beyond me, shaking her head and 

 looking very wicked indeed. I sheered off, and let her 



