The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1910-04-23

hour with quite as much persistency
as YOU hunted him, and If he gets you
at disadvantage to have him kill you
as certainly as you would kill him if
yor could is certainly a novel thing
10 the average big game hunter. Such
q devil in the form OF beast is the
African buffalo, the most dangerous
ii all big game. The following stories
giya but an inkling Of the endless
dangers that attend this sport.
, thinh there can be little doubt that
very old bulls which are almost invari-
ably sousary, become nearly if not
quite deaf. and it is partly owing to
this infirmity that many accidents
have happend to unarmed natives, and
occasionally to caravan porters prowl-
ing in the bush In search Of firewood,
etc.
The buffalo being deaf is not aware
IF the approach of the enemy, and
when he perceives one close to him
IS so startled that he charges in self
defense his onslaught being so quick
and furious that the man equally
taken by surprise) is unable to get
out of the way
Ii support of this theory as to deaf
ness | remember when III Turkwcl, in
the Suk country, the camp had been
pitched at least two hours and some
400 porters had been roaming about
collecting fire wood and water shout
ing and yelling, as their Gus ,om is,
when a man came into camp to say
that buffalo was lying under a tree
within goo yards of us. The mans
story appeared so impra bable, al
though he pointed out the eXsct tree,
which | could see as | sat in my tent,
that | did not credit it in spite of his
earnest protestations OF "QUeli, bWana,
queH" True master, true), so | sent
my gun bearer to verify it. In a few
minutes he returned and reported that
a bull buffalo was certainly there APP
parently living asleep at the foot of an
ant heap under the tree. immedi-
ately went out, and walked straight up
to the ant heap on the top of which
there was a large leafless bush, and on
crawling up the side of the heap | saw
the buffalo within five yards of me.
Just at that moment he turned his
head and seeing me stood up, had
look at me, and turned to bolt, but be-
fore he had got many yards | knocked
him over all in a heap with an eight
bore bullet which raked him from
stem to stern.
To kill a buffalo the shoulder shot
is best. This should be rather low
down, if anything, below the central
lateral line on the body, as the enor-
mously thick neck and the dorsal
ridge are rather apt to deceive the
sportsman as to the actual depth of
the beasts body, more especially when
standing in grass or low bush, so that
the legs and lower outline of the body
can not be discerned. Should beast
be standing behind a thick tree or
bush, so as to present only its head
and neck, a shot in the neck, rather
far back to avoid the backward curve
of the horns, and about half way down,
would be almost instantly fatal: but
this shot should not be attempted if
side on, has its head facing the
sportsman as the near horn will prob
ably be in the way.
Although have killed a good many
buffaloes, and under all sorts of con.
ditions, have only once had recourse
to the head shot This was in the dis
trict lying between kahe and Taveta
where | was shooting in February,
1887. The country was here fairly
open, with numerous patches OF bush
dotted about, and a few small isolated
rocky hills, appropriately called by one
writer earth boils." On climbing up
one of these to get a better view Of
the surrounding country, | apied an
old bull buffalo about mile off. quiet
II feeding close to a patch of bush,
which was about $50 yards long and
about 50 yards wide, and, as the wind
was favorable, | felt pretty sure Of
getting him without much difficulty.
On arriving at the bush, | found a
small low ant-heap Just opposite the
place where | had last seen the buf-
falG, and | stepped on to it to try and
see exactly whore he was on the other
side of the bush, but could see nothing
Of him. As | stood on the ant-heap
consulting with my gun bearer in
low whisper, | heard the well-knowr
kissing cry OF a rhinoceros bird, and
saw it fly up out Of the bush on the
farther side Of it, a little to the let
of me. The buffalo though disturbed
by the warning cry Of rhe bird. was
evidently not much alarmed as he be-
gan TO move across my front at a slow
walk and | could follow his move
ments by the shaking OF the bush as
he passed through It, but could not
see him When he was Just about
opposite to where ! stood he changed
his course and came straight towards
me, still at a slow walk and when he
arrived within a few yards of the edge
Immediately opposite to me slipped
not Of sight behind the ant-heap and
waited for him to appear. He came to
tho y-.rt 81 90 IF tho Inns c+1proJ Co.