THE LION AND OTHER BEASTS OF PREY 
225 
the river, and do their best, while I rode to a distant pool several miles 
up the Ngotwani, reported as very good for game, to lie all night and 
watch: my Totties, however, fearing ‘Tao,’ disobeyed me. On reach¬ 
ing the water I was bound for, I found it very promising, and, having 
fastened my two horses to a tree beneath the river’s bank, I prepared a 
place of concealment close by,, and laid down for the night. 
“The river’s banks on each side were clad with groves of shady 
thorn trees. After I had lain some time, squadrons of buffaloes were 
heard coming on, until the shady grove on the east bank of the water 
immediately above me was alive with them. After some time the 
leaders ventured down the river’s bank to drink, and this was the 
signal for a general rush into the large pool of water: they came on 
like a regiment of cavalry at a gallop, making a mighty din, and 
obscuring the air with a dense cloud of dust. At length I sent a ball 
into one of them, when the most tremendous rush followed up the 
bank, where they all stood still, listening attentively. I knew that the 
buffalo was severely wounded, but did not hear him fall. Some time 
after, I fired at a second, as they stood on the bank above me; this 
buffalo was also hard hit, but did not then fall. A little after, I fired at 
a third on the same spot; he ran forty yards, and, falling, groaned 
fearfully: this at once brought on a number of the others to butt their 
dying comrade, according to their benevolent custom. I then crept in 
toward them, and, firing my fourth shot, a second buffalo ran forward 
a few yards, and, falling, groaned as the last; her comrades, coming 
up, served her in the same manner. A second time I crept in, and, 
firing a fifth shot, a third buffalo ran forward, and fell close to her 
dying comrades: in a few minutes all the other buffaloes made off, and 
the sound of teeth tearing at the flesh was heard immediately. 
“I fancied it was the hyenas, and fired a shot to scare them from 
the flesh. All was still; and, being anxious to inspect the heads of 
the buffaloes, I went boldly forward, taking the native who accom¬ 
panied me, along with me. We were within about five yards of the 
nearest buffalo, when I observed a yellow mass lying alongside of him, 
and at the same instant a lion gave a deep growl,—I thought it was 
all over with me. The native shouted ‘Tao,’ and, springing away, 
instantly commenced blowing shrilly through a charmed piece of bone 
