They stood compactly like
a herd of cattle, staring, tossing their heads, moving slightly,
their wild eyes searching for us. I saw several good bulls, but
always they moved where it was impossible to shoot without danger
of getting the wrong beast. Finally my chance came; I planted a
pair of Holland bullets in the shoulder of one of them.
The herd broke away to the right, sweeping past us at close
range. My bull ran thirty yards with them, then went down stone
dead. When we examined him we found the hole made by B.'s
Winchester bullet; so that quite unintentionally and by accident
I had fired at the same beast. This was lucky. The trophy, by
hunter's law, of course, belonged to B.
Therefore F. and I alone followed on after the herd. It was now
coming on dusk. Within a hundred yards we began to see scattered
beasts. The formation of the herd had broken. Some had gone on in
flight, while others in small scattered groups would stop to
stare back, and would then move slowly on for a few paces before
stopping again. Among these I made out a bull facing us about a
hundred and twenty-five yards away, and managed to stagger him,
but could not bring him down.
Now occurred an incident which I should hesitate to relate were
it not that both F. and myself saw it. We have since talked it
over, compared our recollections, and found them to coincide in
every particular.
As we moved cautiously in pursuit of the slowly retreating herd
three cows broke back and came running down past us. We ducked
aside and hid, of course, but noticed that of the three two were
very young, while one was so old that she had become fairly
emaciated, a very unusual thing with buffaloes. We then followed
the herd for twenty minutes, or until twilight, when we turned
back. About halfway down the slope we again met the three cows,
returning. They passed us within twenty yards, but paid us no
attention whatever. The old cow was coming along very
reluctantly, hanging back at every step, and every once in a
while swinging her head viciously at one or the other of her two
companions. These escorted her on either side, and a little to
the rear. They were plainly urging her forward, and did not
hesitate to dig her in the ribs with their horns whenever she
turned especially obstinate. In fact they acted exactly like a
pair of cowboys HERDING a recalcitrant animal back to its band
and I have no doubt at all that when they first by us the old
lady was making a break for liberty in the wrong direction, AND
THAT THE TWO YOUNGER COWS WERE TRYING TO ROUND
HER BACK! Whether they were her daughters or not is problematical;
but it certainly seemed that they were taking care of her and trying
to prevent her running back where it was dangerous to go. I never
heard of a similar case. though Herbert Ward* mentions, without
particulars that elephants AND BUFFALOES will assist each other
WHEN WOUNDED.
*A Voice from the COngo.
After passing these we returned to where B. and the men, who had
now come up, had prepared the dead bull for transportation. We
started at once, travelling by the stars, shouting and singing to
discourage the lions, but did not reach camp until well into the
night.
XXV. THE BUFFALO-continued
Some months later, and many hundreds of miles farther south,
Billy and I found ourselves alone with twenty men, and two weeks
to pass until C.-our companion at the time-should return from a
long journey out with a wounded man. By slow stages, and relaying
back and forth, we landed in a valley so beautiful in every way
that we resolved to stay as long as possible. This could be but
five days at most. At the end of that time we must start for our
prearranged rendezvous with C.
The valley was in the shape of an ellipse, the sides of which
were formed by great clifflike mountains, and the other two by
hills lower, but still of considerable boldness and size. The
longest radius was perhaps six or eight miles, and the shortest
three or four. At one end a canyon dropped away to a lower level,
and at the other a pass in the hills gave over to the country of
the Narassara River. The name of the valley was Lengeetoto.
>From the great mountains flowed many brooks of clear sparkling
water, that ran beneath the most beautiful of open jungles, to
unite finally in one main stream that disappeared down the canyon.
Between these brooks were low broad rolling hills, sometimes
grass covered, sometimes grown thinly with bushes. Where they
headed in the mountains, long stringers of forest trees ran up to
blocklike groves, apparently pasted like wafers against the base
of the cliffs, but in reality occupying spacious slopes below
them.
We decided to camp at the foot of a long grass slant within a
hundred yards of the trees along one of the small streams. Before
us we had the sweep of brown grass rising to a clear cut skyline;
and all about us the distant great hills behind which the day
dawned and fell. One afternoon a herd of giraffes stood
silhouetted on this skyline quite a half hour gazing curiously
down on our camp. Hartebeeste and zebra swarmed in the grassy
openings; and impalla in the brush. We saw sing-sing and
steinbuck, and other animals, and heard lions nearly every night.
But principally we elected to stay because a herd of buffaloes
ranged the foothills and dwelt in the groves of forest trees
under the cliffs.
