140 
A BUFFALO HUNT 
[CH. VI 
and in a minute we heard the moaning bellow which a 
wounded buffalo often gives before dying. Immediately 
afterward we could hear the dogs worrying it, while it 
bellowed again. It was still living as I came up, and 
though it evidently could not rise, there was a chance 
of its damaging one of the dogs, so I finished it off 
with a shot from the Winchester. Heller reached it 
that afternoon, and the skin and meat were brought in 
by the porters before nightfall. 
Cuninghame remained with the body while the rest 
of us rode off and killed several different animals we 
wanted. In the afternoon I returned, having a vaguely 
uncomfortable feeling that as it grew dusk the buffalo 
might possibly make their appearance again. Sure 
enough, there they were. A number of them were in 
the open plain, although close to the swamp, a mile and 
a half beyond the point where the work of cutting up 
the cow was just being finished, and the porters were 
preparing to start with their loads. It seemed very 
strange that after their experience in the morning any 
of the herd should be willing to come into the open so 
soon. But there they were. They were grazing to the 
number of about a dozen. Looking at them through the 
glass I could see that their attention was attracted to 
us. They gazed at us for some time, and then walked 
slowly in our direction for at least a couple of hundred 
yards. For a moment I was even doubtful whether 
they did not intend to come toward us and charge. 
But it was only curiosity on their part, and after having 
gazed their fill, they sauntered back to the swamp and 
disappeared. There was no chance to get at them, and, 
moreover, darkness was rapidly falling. 
Next morning we broke camp. The porters, strapping 
grown-up children that they were, felt as much pleasure 
