DAY WITH THE BUFFALOS. 
361 
With the eye of an experienced hunter, he had 
descried their "spoor" or footmarks on the 
ground. In an instant he was out of his sad- 
dle, and, with the greatest attention, he pro- 
ceeded to examine and observe the little mi- 
nutiae in connection with them, such as blades 
of grass bent down, the dew as it lay upon 
them, and other matters wholly insignificant 
to all save the eyes of the Cape hunter. After 
a careful scrutiny he again mounted, saying, 
"This herd was here the night before last; 
but they are not far away." This, as he after- 
wards explained to me, he had discovered by 
seeing the dew of that night lying undisturbed 
upon them all, although the footprints them- 
selves had been but recently formed. 
Finding ourselves now in the vicinity of the 
buffalos, we deemed it necessary to use the 
greatest caution, lest, heading them, they might 
get scent of us, (as they always move up the 
wind,) and then we might search in vain. Be- 
side this, expedition was also necessary, as 
the dawn was fast approaching, and the star- 
light, by which we had hitherto alone been 
travelling, was growing dim. Our party now, 
therefore, separated; the Hottentots, or ser- 
vants, were sent round along the ridge of 
an extensive hill, (on the summit of a spur 
of which we were then standing,) whilst we 
