Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-17

the animal dropped, uttering the faint
bleat that usually indicates the end.
Instantly, as though they sprouted
from the earth, the neighborhood be-
gan to seethe with buffalo. Every bush,
covert and bunch of grass seemed to
belch one forth. Ramping and snort
ing. they converged on the body OF
:, their fallen comrade In few second;
there were 10 buffalos milling around
| is yards away. Speaking for myself,
was much too close to the "gamus.'
I'm firm believer in taking my dis.
/ sipation in moderation.
Now they began to snort--not anemic
| effeminate snortS, but SnortS originating
in pulmonary cavities the size Of small
caverns and forced through dilated nos
trilS by lungs of leather. AS snorts,
they were Enthusiastically authentic and
virile. Next, number Of them began
to regard us with blood-shot, yindictive
eyes, while dozen others stood around
the stricken animal, nudging 1t with
their moist noses.
What would have happened next I'm
sure don't know. but the fallen animal
created welcome diversion. 1t began
to show signs of returning life. It at
tempted to struggle to It's feet, fell back
to earth. to try again. This time two
huge bulls placed themselves on either
side, preventing its slipping to the
ground. With q supreme effort it stood
once more on its four legs. Then, tight
ly wedged between its two comrades, 1t
was hustled away to safety. With one
final community snort the rest followed.
I'd heard CT numerous cases Of CO.
operation among animals, but never any
thing just like this. Evidently the most
sinister quadruped in Africa--that asked
for no quarter and gave 11one-observed
the amenities Of society in their noblest
form.
with savage cries the shikaris urged
lis forward. Running as best we could,
we followed the herd, which made d.
rectly for bare patch of ground unre-
heved by even spear Of grass. Evil
IDENTIFY the "gamus" had determined to
carry the battle into the open.
X X X \
A s we reached the middle Of the level
arean of sunbaked clay, with para
lying suddenness the herd turned and
faced us They seemed to be under the
leadership of an ancient bull Of fabulous
proportions, who evidently had drilled
them thoroughly for Just such an emer-
gency. In an instant they had grouped
themselves into wedge-shaped forma-
ton. The old bull formed the apex, trail
ing away on either hand were the lesser
bulls, while in the middle of the wedge
huddled the cows and calves.
Seventy yards of sterility separated
us. Lake, the four shikaris and myself
stood rooted to the spot, fascinated by
the unfolding drama. There was no
possibility of escape. My only sensation
was one Of extreme disgust--disgust
with myself for getting into such mess.
The wanton futility of it made me
heartsick. I could hear my children
on divers occasions when the question
was pressed, remarking:
ooh, yes! We remember our father
quite WE'LL He was stepped on by some
buffalo in the Sudan--Fung Province.
Why, we're not certain. 1t was pleas
ure trip. They sent us the buttons Of
his shorts to remember him by. That's
all they found. There was just one
apiece"
I could have beloved with vexation.
Three buttons! My concrete immortal
ity would be presented by three second
hand buttons! Maybe they won't
even find them" chided myself.
My mind was violently jerked back to
the reality of the moment. The buffa-
loes were slowly advancing. their noses
to the ground. Great strings OF foamy
saliva hung from their muzzles; their
b!oodshot eyes were rolled back in their
heads in q CHASTITY distortion We look
| ed out over a sea of horns.
/ Slowly they came--nearer and nearer,
yet as grim and inevitable as death with
his scythe. We were ripe for the reap
| ing. They raised their massive hoofS
deliberately. deliberately they sank them
! into the earth while the dust spurted.
That moment when they caught our
faint in the air, or some natural de-
| fensive instinct caused them to break
| into wild charge, was the moment I
hated to contemplate. Nothing could
stop them then. Should one of us run
| for 1t or make the slightest movement,
the result would be equally disastrous.
| Now they were only go yards distant
| 50-40--30! Convulsively pulled both
triggers of my rife. There was an ear
shattering report. Lake began to shoot.
Quicker than the eye could follow the
herd turned abruptly to the left and
Numbered past us In vast column of
dust.
We watched them cross the bare
patch; they reached the clunaps Of grass
and then some dense bushes. Into these
| they plunged. flattening out tangled
/ branches as though they were made of
paper, and so they vanished, leaving
behind them trail Of devastation.
n X X Il
THEY were gone. It was unbeliev-
1 able but true. A babel Of voices
broke out We began to laugh. the
Arabs. Lake and myself. It all seemed
overwhelmingly funny. We laughed and
laughed again. The Ras Amer was