AFRICAN SMALL GAME. 605 
valley in front of me, and made for a succession of dense 
thickets in the hills to the northward.. As they crossed 
the valley, by riding hard I obtained a broadside shot at 
the last bull, and fired both barrels into him. He, however, 
continued his course, but I presently separated him, along 
with two other bulls, from the troop. My rifle being a 
two-grooved, which is hard to load, I was unable to do so 
on horseback, and followed with it empty, in the hope of 
bringing them to bay. In passing through a grove of 
thorny trees I lost sight of the wounded buffalo; he had 
turned short and doubled back, a common practice with them 
when wounded. After following the other two at a hard 
gallop for about two miles, I was riding within five yards 
of their huge broad sterns. They exhaled a strong bovine 
smell, which came hot in my face. I expected every minute 
that they would come to bay, and give me time to load; but 
this they did not seem disposed to do. At length, finding I 
had the speed of them, I increased my pace; and going 
ahead, I placed myself right before the finest bull, thus 
expecting to force him to stand at bay; upon which he 
instantly charged me with a low roar, very similar to the 
voice of a lion. Colesberg neatly avoided the charge, and 
the bull resumed his northward course. We now entered on 
rocky ground, and the forest became more dense as we pro- ° 
ceeded. The buffaloes were evidently making for some strong 
retreat. I, however, managed with much difficulty to hold 
them in view, following, as best I could, through thorny 
thickets. Isaac rode some hundreds yards behind, and kept 
shouting to me to drop the pursuit, or I should be killed. At 
last the buffaloes suddenly pulled up, and stood at bay in a 
thicket within twenty. yards of me. Springing from my 
horse, I hastily loaded my. two-grooved rifle, which I had 
scarcely completed when Isaac rode up and inquired what 
had become of the buffaloes, little dreaming that they were 
standing within twenty yards of him. I answered by pointing 
