230 THROUGH MASAILAND TO THE BORDEES OF KIKUYU 



B}^ the side of Lake Nyiri stretclies a sandy, perfectly flat 

 plain, on the salt-impregnatfed soil of which no grass and but a 

 few acacias can grow, though here and there are dense thickets 

 of a kind of bush with fleshy pointed leaves, growing to a 

 height exceeding that of a man. These bush-thickets are a 

 favourite resort of buffaloes, which remain absolutely concealed 

 in them, the sandy soil deadening the noise they make, whilst 

 the hunter has no cover at all and is exposed to very great 

 danger. 



The shores of Lake Nyiri are a favourite haunt of buffaloes, 

 and the ground is completely covered with their spoors. The 

 Count had scarcely left the camp before he came upon a solitary 

 old bull, deserted by his herd, and ready, as is so often the 

 case with such lonely animals, to charge the intruder without 

 provocation. 



' When,' said Count Teleki, ' I looked round for my reserve 

 weapons I found all my men had taken to their heels except 

 Kharscho, who had come with me instead of Mahommed, then 

 invalided. They had been very nervous and had held back 

 from the first, and when they saw the buffalo they disappeared 

 altogether. Kharscho, however, was all eager for the chase ; 

 his eyes shone, and he showed not a sign of fear. With such 

 a companion, who will coolly hand you your weapons just at 

 the right moment, one may be a bit venturesome. The iDuffalo 

 had already scented danger, l3ut he had not yet seen me, so I 

 waited a moment till he moved into a more favourable position 

 and then fired my 577 Express at his shoulder. When the 

 smoke cleared away the buffalo was gone, but there were great 

 stains of blood on the lio'lit (jreen bushes through which the 

 wounded animal had dashed. We followed these traces, and 

 came upon a herd of more than a hundred buffaloes, which 

 had been hidden in the thicket quite close to us. Alarmed by 

 my shot, they were trampling hither and thither. I fired again, 



