XXV 
MAD BUFFALO AND FAITHLESS WIFE 
231 
fortunately, as we afterwards discovered, without 
injuring it, though the stock still bears the 
marks of the rude encounter. Before my tracker 
had time to rise, the animal had turned, and was 
about to gore him, when Malingum, with frantic 
determination and admirable coolness, plunged his 
knife into the beasts right eye. This temporarily 
disconcerted the animal and gave my tracker 
time to roll aside, but, feeling that his victim 
was about to escape, the brute returned to the 
fray and, making a savage lunge at my man, 
fortunately missed him, and smashed his right horn 
on the ground. Next moment, Malingum had 
nimbly regained his feet and was flying headlong 
in my direction, pursued by the enraged buffalo. 
At this critical juncture, Hyiah, having recovered 
from his fright, reappeared and handed me my 
heavy rifle, but as Malingum, disregarding my 
shouted orders to jump aside, only came on all the 
quicker, straight as a die to where we stood, it 
was quite impossible for me to get a shot at his 
pursuer. Next moment, the beast overtook the 
poor fellow, and with a sharp blow of his gigantic 
horns tossed him several yards away to the right. 
As he turned to finish his victim, I seized the 
opportunity for which I had been waiting and 
brought the brute down with a bullet through the 
shoulder, and ere he could rise, my second barrel 
