The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1890-07-18
AFRICAN suFFALoes.

They Are Wild and Wary and Extremely
Difficult 70 Hunt.
Tho plains about Arusha-wa-Chi
afforded good sport. Rhinoceros and
girafscs abounaed and big herds of
6sflalo and zebras, while hartebeest,
!, ,SfAlcbcsst and other antclopes wcrc
stbero ty tho thousand. Ilc found tho
tNfalo,. extremely wild and wary, as
.etay hra been huntcd persevcringly
l{Wcfk. aftcr week, and as matter Of
!, ,neScssitys by tho two German traders
Whoshad occupied tho station. They
had'beon loft to rub along without sup
.plics much of tho time, and had to
hunt. buffalo and pay their way among
tho natives with meat. A herd Of
buffalo that has been hunted much
by sportsmcn with guns arc Afflicted
with chronic wildncss for year after,
apd need but to hear the report Of q
gun TO start them of hcltcr-skcltcr
across tho plains for miles.
Ono morning I was out with my two
gun-bearcrs and ten men to carry in
mcat. / had come upon hcrd of water
buck in . dry basin, and knocked over
thrco before they had discovered which
way to run. Leaving tho men to skin
and cut them. .uA I walked with tho gum
bearers up tho wind to tho brow Of q
swell that would givc us an extensive
Wow beyond. 1--WE discovered o small
lakc or ziwa, an area of dense green
grass ON tho farther side. A hcrd of ami
mails which with the aid Of field glass
made out to be buffalo were grazing
on the swarl. They were headed to-
ward us, slowly grazing along, and l
could sec the swarm of bros that always
hover about q herd of buffalo in quest
of the ticks that iniest their bodies.
Fortunately tho wind was favorable,
though in tho absence Of cover between
them and US they had us ut disadvan.
tagc. They had not heard tho report of
my gun. beyond them, moreover. from
the lake Was fringe Of brush. which, II
It could only be gained, would place mo
within range. As this fringe broadencd
out into quito patch Of Jungle to our
loft II seemed but question Of tramp
ing milo OF so to gain tho point desired.
Soon VIC wcrc creeping up small,
bushy mollah that led into tho thickct,
leading the way. followed closely by
two gun.bcarcrs. We had penetrated a
hundred yards or so into the Jungle
/, when, with crash Of bushes and q
snort Of alarm, hugo. bull buffalo
sprang from tho cover Of dense patch
Of thorns less than ton yards away. lIc
was lying down, hidden under tho thick
brush away from the heat and hics, and
VIC had we'll nigh blundcred into his
lair without seeing him.
With head erect and cyc.balls glaring
wildly no stood for moment, snorting
savagcly and shaking his head, as
stood, gun in hand, waiting for him "a
| present some vulnerable point. I had
taken tho prccaution of carrying the
heavy rifle myself before entering the
! thickct, as didn't yet know my gun.
/ bearers. It was wise precaution, 70,
both OF these worthless at the first crash.
ing Of tho bushes bolted in an opposite
| direction and hid.
Tho buffalo presented no mark above
the bushes but his head, which it would
be quito useless, not to say suicidal, te
shoot at under tho circumstances
Should blaze away through tho twig.
on the chance of o lucky neck shot? II
was that or nothing. was just raising
my gun to carry this idea into efIeci
whom. as II conscious Of my intention
tho gallant old fellow gave locomo
tive snort and charged me. / could
only dodge to one sidc and crouch, hop
ing to see him rush past and away
Losing sight Of his enemy, however, ht
stopped short. thought better Of It and
turning about so close that tho com
motion Of tho bushes knocked OF my
helmet, he went crashing through the
thicket in an opposite direction.
The whole affair happened In far los,
time than ono can tell it, and from frs
to last I saw nothing but his massive
head and horns Tho latter wore FIN,
pair. Ihatcd to sec them escape me
AZ hc left tho thickct on the far sid,
we heard tremendous commotion ant
I. smashing Of bushes in tho thinncs
shrubbery beyond and the ground ",
stood ON fairly seemed to quake as h,
communicated his alarm to big hcrt
Of his fellows Of whose presence W,
had until then been ignorant. W,
rushed up to tho bank Of tho nullal
and had the modification Of seeing thi
second herd laundering along towary
the first A minute later both hcrds
numbering. perhaps three hundrct
buffalo. werc engaged In neck.and
neck rsce across tho basin. throwing u,
two clouds Of dust toward the djstu,bcr,
Of their pcacc.-Thomas Stevens
Zanzibar Letter in n. Y. World.