96 THE BUFFALO 



or two spent thus, I raised my head and made 

 out rather a fine bull with massive horns standing 

 broadside on at the left-hand edge of the herd. 

 Reaching for my '500 express, therefore, I took a 

 steady aim for the point of his shoulder, and gently 

 pressed the trigger. At the shot he stumbled 

 forward with a bellow, and was immediately lost 

 to sight as the great mass of astonished animals 

 rose to their feet; but at that moment an ex- 

 clamation from the hunters drew my attention to 

 three cows, which had, I fancy, been lying con- 

 cealed in some slight depression, and were quite 

 close — certainly not more than 80 yards on our 

 right front. Two of these halted after they had 

 trotted for some distance towards us in an un- 

 certain manner ; but the third, uttering a succes- 

 sion of hoarse, menacing grunts, charged straight 

 down upon us, her nose vengefuUy extended. I 

 had just time, with only one cartridge in my un- 

 discharged barrel, to swing the rifle on to her. At 

 about 30 yards I fired for the centre of the massive 

 chest, where, had it even reached her, my bullet 

 might easily not have stopped her in time. For- 

 tunately for me, however, at that moment she 

 either stumbled in the loose dust of the plain, 

 or for some other reason momentarily lowered 

 her extended head. My bullet struck her full in 

 the face, and she must have died instantly ; but 

 so great was the momentum of her charge that 

 she was carried almost up to us before she finally 

 lay still. At the second shot, the herd, which up 

 to that moment had been stricken motionless with 

 amazement, began to move heavily off, leaving 



