The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-17
REVENGEFUL BEATS
More Hunters Slain By the African
Buffalo Than Any Other Aniial.
HE BUSHES FROM AMBUSH
Returns on His Spoor to Lie In
Walt for His Foes-PerIIoS Ex-
perience of a Ger From
aaua the 1ransvaai.

Bacheller)
III Is agreed upon all hands by @pe-
rienceo hunters in Africa that thebuf-
Iaio tBubalus Caffer) is one OF the
three most dangerous four-footed foes
tnat man can attack. Most menclass
TINS animal with elephants and lions,
as game that requires the highet at
tributes of skill. courage and c.ution
to bring to bag; and as a mater of
fact, 1t may be laid down that more
deaths and dangerous accidents lappen
annually In Africa in hunting TIE buff
falo than in the chase of any other
species of heavy game. In egions
where large numbers of these splenid
beasts still wander in troops of3OO 400
and even more, and where thy have
been little disturbed, the huJter has
no great difficulty in shooting as many
as he requires. In fairly open country,
Wnere scattered covert exists, and
where they can be readily approached
for they are by no means keen-sighted
Creatures man may shoot buffaloes
as easily, he begins to think as he can
shoot oxen. But when a buffalo is
wounded and his blood spod has to be
taken up, and the hunter has to follow
MIN into the dense coverts to which he
retreats, the business is entirely
changed. Then you may prepare to
look out for yourself, to take up your
hCoNiCob anu iflOSt weapon ana
TO Follow the track of your game with
every sense alert, and FOUR rifle handy
Tor an instant and most deadly charge.
You VIII find, too, that the native
spoorer, who trotted in, front of you
readily enough on the blood spoor of
elephant, and even Ion, will now great
ly prefer to follow in your rear, and
leave you to take lpon your own per-
son the first and most dangerous risk
in the dark and sladowy thickets into
which you are advancing. He knows
none better-the dark, murderous fury
and the lurking uoiseless ways of the
beast in which you are in search. The
buffalo, when once he is wounded,
seems. indeed, to think of little else
than bloody revenge. Unlike most
other kinds of game, which, when
wounded, will almost invariably betake
themselves in flight as far from the
pursuer as possible, he usually re-
treats some distance into the densest
bush and then either hides up in some
dark corner. where the shadows are
deep and dense. or, turning upon his
line, takes a parallel path back, and so
waits for his foe; or he will even follow
back upon his own spoor and conceal
himself. Sometimes he will stand Turk
ing amid the dark thickets; at another
time, If badly wounded, he will lie
down: in either case prepared and de-
termined to infiict bloody revenge
for the hurts under which he is smart
ing. Year after year fatal accidents
happen in South African buffalo hunt
ing; year after year men. If not killed
outright. are terribly mauled and. un-
til the buffalo is completely extermi-
mated, he will be found as savage and
as dangerous as the lion himself, and,
withal, far more revengeful.
1 cannot better illustrate the charac-
ter of these plucky animals than by an
adventure narrated to me not long
since in the hunting veldt by a Boer
hunter from the Transvaal. He had
been trekking with some other compat-
riots far to the northwest of Lake
Ngami. Flesh was badly wanted in
camp, and as Tsetse fly was prevalent
in the marshy country, north of the
Okanango river, on which they were
outspanned, and the natives reported
large herds of buffaloes, he left his
horses behind him, ferried across the
river, and spent the next two days in
hunting. He had with him his own
Hottentot servant, a good and reliable
hunter and fair shot, and he had as
well several natives of the district who
were anxious for meat and ready to
show him his game.
On the first day the Dutchman came
fairly open veldt. Getting behind some
convenient covert, and with the wind
in the right direction, he had very little
difficulty in shooting two fat cows and
a young bull. The cows We're quite
easily secured; but the bull, although
shot through the lungs, jumped on his
legs from some long grass and bush
when approached, charged freely at
the spooring party, and was only killed
within a few feet of the hunter. The
rest of the day was spent in skinning
and cutting up the game. Part of the
natives were sent back to the Boer
1odan with ne r1alph nnnaf az fhaX
could carry-the Beers requiring not
only fresh meat for immediate use,
but enough to make a supply of bill
tong (salted, sun-dried fiesh); the re-
mainder of the flesh was bestowed up
on the native villagers who were with
the expedition.
Large numbers of buffalo were still
reported a little further ahead among
the lagoons and marshes of this re-
gion. The Dutch hunter, therefore,
camped for the night. ate hearty sup
per by the roaring fire and slept sound
ly till early dawn. Before the sun up
the party were again stirring. In less
than two hours time the natives had
led the way to a broad marshy lagoon,
or "vlei," as Beers call 1t, surrounded
by drier ground, upon which grew
bush, acacia trees and few tall palms.
Part of this lagoon was shallow open
water; the remainder consisted of a
dense Ded or ta1 TeeuS, winch leu 10
further swamps and lagoons beyond.
The sight that met the Dutchman's
eyes as he and the natives crept eau
tiously towards the edge of the 'vlei, %
and surveyed the scene from behind a
screen of bush. was a wonderful one.
In and about the ''vlei" stood a troop
of not less than 200 buffaloes, some roll
ing in the shadows, some drinking,
some standing belly deep in the water.
dark and motionless The buffalo birds
Ga species of starling-Buphaga Afri-
canal those watchful allies of these
animals and of rhinoceros, were flying
hither and thither. many of them peck
ing and feeding on the ticks and para
sites which infest the buffalo. num-
Der of small white herons. too, were
about the .'vlei," some of which were
also TO be seen actually perching on
the broad backs of the great game In
On, case the stalk required caution: