Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1890-04-17
AFRICAN euFFALoEs.
They Arc wild and Wary and Extremely
Difficult to Hunt.

afforded good sport. Rhinoceros and
giraffes abounded and big herds of
buffalo and zebras, while hartebeest.
wildebeest and other antelopes wore
there by the thousand. He found the
buffalo extremely wild and wary, as
they had been hunted perseveringly
week after week, and as mattcr of
necessity, by the two German traders
who had occupied the station. They
had boon left to rub along without sup
plies much of the time, and had to
hunt buffalo and pay their way among
the natives with meat. A herd of
buffalo that has been hunted much
by sportsmen with guns are afflicted
with chronic wildness for year after,
and need but to hear the report Of a
gun to start them off helter-skelter
across the plains for miles.
One morning I was out with nv two
gun-bearers and ten men to carry in
meat. 1 had come upon q herd of water
buck in dry basin, and knocked over
three before they had discovered which
way to run. Leaving the men to skin
and cut them up walked with the gun
bearers up the wind to tho brow Of
swell that would give us an extensive
Wow beyond. We discovered small
lako or ziwa, an area of dense green
grass on tho farther side. A herd of ami
mails which with the aid of field glass
/ made out to be buffalo were grazing
on the sward. They were headed to-
ward US, slowly grazing along, and I
could see the swarm of birds that always
hover about herd of buffalo in quest
Of the ticks that infest their bodies.
Fortunately the wind was favorable,
though in the absence of cover between
them and us they had us at disadvan-
tage. They had not heard the report of
my gun. Beyond them, moreover, from
the lake was a fringe of brush, which, if
1T could only be gained, would place mo
within range. AS this fringe broadened
out into quite patch of Jungle to our
left 1T seemed but a question of tramp
ing mile or so to gain the point desired.
Soon we were creeping up a small,
bushy mellah that led into the thicket,
L leading the way, followed closely by
two gun-bearers. We had penetrated O
hundred yards or so into the Jungle
when, with crash of bushes and
snort of alarm, a huge bull buffalo
of thorns less than ton yards away. He
was lying down, hidden under the thick
brush away from the heat and flies, and
we had we'll nigh Numbered into his
lair without seeing him.
With head erect and eye-balls glaring
wildly he stood for q moment, snorting
savagely and shaking his head, as 1
stood, gun in hand, waiting for him to
present some vulnerable point 1 had
taken the precaution of carrying tho
heavy rifle myself before entering tho
thiclSet, as 1 didn't yet know my gun
bearers. 1t was wise precaution, for
both of these worthless at the first crash
ing of the 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, to
shoot at under the circumstances.
Should blaze away through the twigs
on the chance of lucky neck shot2 1t
was that or nothing. / was Just raising
my gun to carry this idea into effect
when, as If conscious Of my intention,
tho gallant old fellow gave locomo-
tive snort and charged me. 1 could
only dodge to one side and crouch, hop
ing to sec him rush past and away.
Losing sight of his enemy, however, he
stopped short, thought better of it and,
turning about so close that the COM
motion of tho bushes knocked of nv
helmet, he won't crashing through the
thicket in an opposite direction.
The whole affair happened in far less
time than one can tell it, and from first
to last saw nothing but his massive
head and horns The latter wero fine
pair. hated to see them escape me.
AS he left the thiclet OH the far side
we heard n tremendous commotion and
smashing of bushes in the thinnest
shrubbory beyond and the ground we
stood on fairly seemed to quake as he
communicated his alarm to big herd
Of his follows, of whose presence we
had until then bpon irnoront W.