THE BUFFALO 
several occasions, been nearly run over by a large herd of buffaloes which 
had been stampeded not far away from me by lions or native hunters, and 
upon two occasions have had such herds divide and pass quite close on 
each side of me as I stood waving my hat and shouting to keep them off. 
On those occasions, had there been a wounded or a particularly ill- 
tempered animal amongst those which passed nearest to me, it probably 
would have charged; so it may be my good luck that I have to thank for not 
having been attacked. But I have shot a good many buffaloes on horseback 
in places where I met with them outside the areas infested by the tsetse 
fly. On these occasions I galloped alongside of large herds, dismounting 
and firing as opportunity offered. Only once did an unwounded cow leave 
the herd and chase me off, coming at a tremendous pace and grunting 
loudly all the time. 
In South Africa I never heard of any experienced hunter who thought 
that buffaloes were more dangerous than cattle as long as they were not 
interfered with. When in large herds they always ran off at the near 
approach of human beings , whether they saw or only scented them . Old bulls , 
certainly, would often hold their ground until very closely approached, 
but, except under the exceptional circumstances to which I have already 
alluded, they always ran off sooner or later. Once, however, a buffalo has 
been wounded and has got into any kind of thick cover, he becomes a most 
dangerous animal, as he will come to a halt behind the thickest bush he 
can find, where, when following on his tracks, it is not possible to see 
him until he has been very closely approached. Some buffaloes will then 
run off again, but usually they will charge if they see their pursuer very 
close to them. They are extraordinarily tenacious of life, and, holding their 
heads as they do, with their noses outstretched, a bullet would have to 
strike one in the mouth to reach the brain, whilst if shot in the throat or 
chest, they would still, though mortally wounded, be able to make good 
their charge and maim or kill their adversary before dying. Therefore, a 
buffalo is a most difficult animal to stop when charging, and no greater 
danger can be encountered in Africa than the headlong rush at close 
quarters of one of these powerful and determined brutes. No one likes to 
leave the tracks of an animal he has wounded, but no sportsman should 
follow a wounded buffalo into thick cover without fully comprehending 
the nature of the risk he is running. 
I have shot a good many buffalo bulls quite easily with a *461 black- 
powder rifle, and consider, therefore, that any cordite rifle of *400 
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