THE BUFFALO. 409 



lay still. He came on until lie almost trampled upon me, when, 

 probably having just opened his eyes and missed me, he pulled up, 

 and then suddenly catching sight of my position, he lowered his 

 head and again came on. With my full strength I stabbed him in 

 the nose, the long iron blade going right through it, and pricking 

 him in the chest, while he struck me heavily with his horn-covered 

 forehead, and his hoof trod on the fleshy part of my left arm, 

 causing the most horrible pain. But the nose is a tender spot, and 

 he sprang back, and he stood looking at me with his savage, 

 bloodshot eyes, which peered from under the mass of horn which 

 almost covers the face of an old bull. 



" I wasn't altogether at ease about the result, but I knew that so 

 long as I kept perfectly still and flat he couldn't stab me with his 

 horns ; their formation prevented that, and I trusted in my spear 

 still. He made another rush, but not such a determined one, and 

 again feeling the assegai point, he retreated on one side, but soon 

 returned ; this time coming from behind and catching me between 

 the shoulders. Finding he did not get pricked here, he absolutely 

 kneeled down, knowing that he could not get at me in any other 

 way, and began^to pound me on the back with his forehead. The 

 blows were very heavy and jarring, and I felt myself fast losing 

 consciousness, when one of the dogs — all of whom had been baiting 

 him unnoticed the whole time — smelling the blood on his nose 

 where I had stabbed him, pinned him by that dehcate organ, and 

 soon brought him on to his feet again, though in getting up he 

 trod on me for the second time. The Kaffirs also ran in shouting, 

 and one got near enough to send an assegai into the brute's ribs, 

 on receiving which he made a blind rush, and I took advantage of 

 the respite to gain the friendly shelter of the tree. I was not 

 much hurt, though considerably shaken, and as the buffalo's evil 

 genius made him come and stand directly underneath me, I took 

 advantage of the chance, and with both hands and all my force, 

 drove one of the great, spade-like spears right down into his 

 vitals. He made a short rush, stood still, trembled, and then fell 

 on his knees, on seeing which we all ran up, and stabbed him again 

 and again as he attempted to regain his feet and bellowed with 

 ineflfectual anger, until after displaying that wonderful tenacity of 



