Evening star., 1922-12-24

on the plains to hunt. but to get one
Of our mules instead.
They kept getting bolder and bolder
and slipping up closer. Sometimes
one Of them would slip UP close
enough SO that we could See his eyes
shining like two balls Of 'fce. Each
time We grabbed burning brands from
which frightened him away for the
time being.
After midn ight l was shocked to
realize that We We're piling our last
wood on the fire. had an idea
| thought would work. and that was
for US to carry frebrands in one hand
and the gun and bride reins in the
high gress some fifty yards to the
east Of US.
We did not know exactly on which
side OF US the lions We're at the mo-
ment. but we made a dash for the
s':ass and got it burning.
The flames shot up as high as our
heads In places. and as the fire swept
slowly along in front Of a very mild
west wind we walked along with it
and kept close UP.
We followed the fire around wher-
ever it went. and luckily it lasted
long enough to keep of the lions un-
til shortly before dawn. when we
were joined by Lady Stafford and
Duncan and the safari
TT was in a dry, sandy country, with
i bushes called wait-a-bi quite
thick. that We had our next adven-
ture.
Wait-a-bit derives its name from
| the fact that every limb has a lot of
strong hooks much like fishhooks
growing upon it. and when you crowd
against the limbs these hooks catch
into your clothing. They are so strong
that you cannot tear yourself loose.
but have to wait bit and unlock
them.
We had come upon fresh buffalo
| tracks, and all Of a sudden members
They must have. fired eight or ten
shots
Then I heard the heavy animals
crashing my way.
The bush was thick here. and I saw
an opening ahead and hastened to it.
1t was a small glade about forty feet
across. With Mullie. my black gun
bearer. at my heels. I advanced into
the glade about ten feet and stopped.
|, On came the buffalo straight toward
ua had my 40 double-barrel ex-
press rife in my hand and two extra
cartridges. one between my first and
second finger Of my left hand and one
between the second and third finger
q precaution 1 always took in hunting
dangerous game. My gunbearer stood
just behind me with my $50 Rigby
Mauser. a six-shooter.
dropped on my left knee and threw
the twelve-pounder to my shoulder as
a huge buffalo bull broke cover. a
second one close behind him.
As the first one jumped into the
glade ! fired my right barrel without
lowered-.his head slightly and put
on additional speed.
But as his head went down, prepar-
ing to toss me. gave him the left
barrel at the point where the shoulder
and neck Joined. 1t. brought him
down with q shock. but he was only
twenty Feet away and coming so hard
that he hit the ground and skidded
clear up to my feet.
The second bull was running SO
hard that he had to jump stiff-leEged
in front and put on brakes to keep
from going headlong over the dead
one. Desperately 1 reached for my
second gun. It was gone!'
Muilie. whom thought so much of.
had failed me in my time Of need and
bolted with my weapon!
+ +
TsHE second bull succeeded in stop
i ping. His nose was less than
four feet from my face. His bulging
eyes popped almost out Of his head.
l turned my back to him SO that !
would not tumble and slipped one of
the cartridges into the twelvs-pound-
er As l. did SO / heard him jump.