Evening star., 1909-07-11

Here there was bush only tall swamp
grass and rushes, eight to fourteen feet high.
and along the deeper water channels a still
higher and thicker growth of cattalls. For
few hundred yards the ground was boggy; but
not very bad nor were the channels very deep.
The First Warning Whistle
WHEN within about a thousand yards we
w heard the shrill whistle of buffalo short
distance ahead of us, but at first could not see
him Presently, however as he crashed away
past US Judd caught glimpse OF him and
tried a snapshot; but, apparently, missed.
Then we chugged on through the marsh
short distance farther finding ourselves COM
PEELED to dismount and wade, and then bumped
into broad sluggish hundred-foot channel that
fell away to depth nearly over ones head at
the very edge and looked too suspicious OF
crocodiles to leave it attractive So we back
trekked and circed the north end of the swamp,
and finally found place where we could fioun-
der through the channel without quite SWIM
ming our mules Then we prospected along its
western edge without result, until one OF our
boys volunteered to try crossing, won through,
and poked about for nearly two hours, finally
returning with advice that plenty OF buffalo
were half-1nile away, but lot OF hopelessly
bad going intervening.
While the boy was gone, Outram whipped
out a hook and line, found boy who was treas
uring titbit of the rhino, and. communicating
it for bait in short time landed about twenty
pounds of fine kumbarl, ranging from one to
three pounds IN weight.
The boy back, and the fish wrapped in green
grass and slowed in saddle pockets, about
two p NJ we started for camp, on a wide circle
TO the west in hope of getting more quickly
out of the soft alkali plain to hard ground. In
an altitude here below two thousand feet, the
heat on the open plain was terrific. Great
herds of wildebeest to the west OF us IN the
mirage looked big as elephants, while IN the
shimmering heat waves Natron itself looked
like mirage than real water.
After about two miles reached slightly
higher ground and better footing, along which
we proceeded for another half-hour without IN
cident.
A Battle with Buffalo Bulls
TT was then about three-thirty P. NJ, and we
had come near to the southwest corner OF the
Ngari Kit swamp. Tired with ten hours con-
slant going afoot and a-mule, drowsy with the
heat for sometime l had been doing COM
fortably in the saddle, unmndful OF game OF
any sort. Suddenly was reused by low
whistle from Judd, to find him gazing face
muscles tense into the tall grass on my left
1t needed only glance to see that there be
fore us at last a scant hundred and forty yards
away stood the royal quarry we had been seek
ing since morning,-two splendid big buffalo
bulls, their noses up-pointed shifting to locate
a scented enemy, their great horns and thick
heads obscuring even their massive shoulders! !!
Instantly we bounced off the mules, and
scarcely were our feet on the ground before
All three of US opened fire together, but,
despite the rain of lead, on they came without
swerving until, at about thirty yards, they
turned to our left, toward Lake Natron, for a
few Jumps Then the old fellow again started
to whirl upon us; but as he turned Judd gave
him 45O in the mid-ribs that made him change
his mind
Within fifty yards of their first turn they dis
appeared over low ridge, and we raced after
them When we reached the top of the ridge,
there below US, perhaps twenty yards away,
the two grim old warriors stood at bay, badly
wounded. They were still full of fight, facing
US, and the moment we appeared again they
started a charge. But before they had made
half dozen jumps, Judd downed the young
bull with a .45O in the shoulder, and the old
bull with 4O5 in the center of the chest. And
there, down and practically out as they seemed
they still showed so much fight on nearer APP
proach that Judd advised, for safety, giving
each a careful finishing shot, which we did.
One of my .4O5s was found Crumpled up IN
side the skull of the younger bull my first shot
at him. and that it had not bowled him over at
once was remarkable; while my first on the old
fellow had caught him aft of the shoulder and
ranged back through the lung. Judd's first had
hit the young fellow in the hip. The old one
also proved the tremendous toughness OF their
fiber for Judd's 45O, which had entered the
mid-ribs and turned his second charge, pro-
truded, but did not puncture the skin on the
opposite side We cut it out, and ] have it,
almost unblunted after traversing great sew
enteen hundred-pound carcass, which even a
$50 cOrdite cartridge could not drive a hard