58 FEROCITY OF THE BUFFALO. [chap. i. 
bone. As usual with buffaloes, he had not rested con¬ 
tent until he had pounded the breath out of the body, 
which was found imbedded and literally stamped 
tight into the mud, with only a portion of the head 
above the marsh. Sali had not even cocked his gun, 
the hammer being down on the nipples when found. 
I will not allow these men to come to grief in this 
way; they are a reckless set of thoughtless cowards, 
full of noise and bluster, fond of firing off their guns 
like children, and wasting ammunition uselessly, and 
in time of danger they can never be relied upon ; they 
deserted their comrade when in need, and cried aloud 
like infants at his death; they shall not again be 
allowed to move from the boats. 
In the evening I listened to the men conversing 
over the whole affair, when I learnt the entire truth. 
It appears that Richarn and two other men were with 
the unfortunate Sali when the brute charged him, and 
the cowards all bolted without firing a shot in defence. 
There was a large white ant-hill about fifty yards 
distant, to which they retreated; from the top of this 
fort they repeatedly saw the man thrown into the air, 
and heard him calling for assistance. Instead of hast¬ 
ening in a body to his aid, they called to him to “ keep 
quiet and the buffalo would leave him." This is a 
sample of the courage of these Khartoumers. The 
