dust rising in the air, and that was all we could see 
at first. 
The animals had scarcely disappeared when the 
Bushmen, armed with their long spears, hurried for¬ 
ward ; but I could not immediately follow, as I shipped 
to put on my boots, not being minded to run through 
the jungle barefooted ! I then reloaded my gun and 
followed the buffalo spoors, to find that the animal 
fired at had gone off with the others, leaving not so 
THE REGION SOUTH OF THE ZAMBESI. 257 
we were all crouching behind a bush, but fortunately 
without seeing us. The moment had come for firing. 
My long heavy gun (calibre No. 10), loaded with a 
leaden bullet pointed with tin, lay ready on my 
shoulder; a thundering report rung out, succeeded by 
the rolling, crashing noise made by the buffaloes 
tearing their way through the dry bushes ; clouds of 
THE HUGE BEAST FELL TO THE GROUND. 
