Part 26 (2/2)
”Yes, he had indeed; but, Alexander, your horse is not well: he can hardly breathe You had better disirths Bre it to Alexander, took the bridle of the other and examined him
”He has his ribs broken, sir,” said the Hottentot,--”two of theently, Bremen Oh, here comes the Major Noe shall knohat has occurred; and there is Swanevelt and the two men”
”Well, Major, pray tell us your adventures, for you have frightened us dreadfully”
”Not half so htened myself,” replied the Major; ”we have all had a narrow escape I can assure you, and Swanevelt's horse is dead”
”Is Swanevelt hurt?”
”No, he was razed the whole length of the body, and yet not injured hi to drink, and then I will tell you all about it--I aue cleaves to the roof of my mouth”
As soon as they had arrived at the caravan and disave his narrative ”We had several shots on our side of the river, for the buffaloes had evidently an intention of crossing over, had we not turned theed from the reeds upon Swanevelt, and before he could turn his horse and put him to his speed, the horns of the buffalo had ripped up the poor anied brute disengaged hie upon Swanevelt; but he twisted on one side, and the horn only grazed him, as I have ed iht he wheeled so suddenly that I lost my stirrups, and my saddle turned round
”I found that I could not recoverunder the horse's belly, when he passed under a tree, and I caught a branch and swung myself on to it, just as the buffalo, which was close behind us, ca; so youthat the horse left him, and I was not on it, quitted his pursuit, and ca everywhere for ed hi under the tree, apparently h not seriously It iored him to death, had not Kloet, as up in a tree, fired at the animal and wounded hied toward Swanevelt, and was not ten yards from him The animal could proceed no further, and there he stood until he fell dead”
”We saw that portion of the adventure ourselves, Major,” said Swinton; ”and noill tell you our ohich has been equally full of incident and danger” Swinton having related what had passed on his side of the river, the Major observed:
”You o to ten lion-hunts than one h of buffaloes for all lad to hear you say so,” replied Swinton, ”for they are erous ani them a mortal wound renders the attack of theh of buffalo-hunting to tell you that you have been fortunate, although you have lost one horse and have another very much hurt;--but here come the spoils of the chase; at all events, ill benefit by the day's sport, and have a good meal”
”I can't eat now,” said Alexander; ”I ao and lie down for an hour or two”
”And so shall I,” said the Major; ”I have no appetite”
”Well, then, ill all meet at supper,” said Swinton ”In the mean time I shall see if I can be of any use to Swanevelt Where's Oether just now,” said the Major ”What for, I do not know”
”Oh! I told hiet soood as potatoes when boiled; and he has taken the monkey to find them”
The Major and Alexander remained on their beds till supper-time, when Mahomed woke them up They found themselves much refreshed by their sleep, and also found that their appetites had returned Buffalo-steaks and fried Bushood substitute for beefsteaks and fried potatoes; and after they had made a hearty meal, Alexander inquired of Swinton what he had seen of buffalo-hunting when he had been at the Cape before
”I have only been once or twice engaged in a buffalo-hunt; but I can tell you what I have heard, and what I have collected froe, as to the nature of the aniood proof I told you this erous than a herd; and the reason is this:--At the breeding season, the fiercest bulls drive the others away from the herd, in the same manner as the elephants do; and these solitary buffaloes are extreerous, as they do not wait to be attacked, but will attack a enerally conceal themselves, and rush out upon you unawares, which makes it more difficult to escape from them They are so bold, that they do not fear the lion himself; and I have been told by the Dutch boors, that when a buffalo has killed one of their co him, it will not leave its victim for hours, but continue to tra the body with its knees as an elephant does, and with its rough tongue stripping off the skin as far as it can It does not do all this at one tilut its vengeance”
”What a malicious brute!”
”Such is certainly its character I recollect a history of a buffalo-hunting adventure, told me by a Dutch farone out with a party to hunt a herd of buffaloes which were grazing on a piece of round, sprinkled with a few et within shot of the herd, without crossing a portion of the reed to leave their steeds in charge of two Hottentots, and to advance on foot; thinking that, in case any of the buffaloes should charge the back to the ht of a man, but not of a horse, ly over the ood fortune to bring doith the first volley, three of the fattest of the herd; and also so severely wounded the great bull, which was the leader of the herd, that he dropped down on his knees, bellowingthat the animal was mortally wounded, the foremost of the huntsmen walked out in front of the bushes froan to reload his ive the anied anied headlong at hiun, and ran toward the marsh; but the beast was so close upon hi by that direction, and turning suddenly round a cluan to climb an old mimosa tree which stood close to it
”The buffalo was, however, too quick for hi forith a roar, which the far sounds that he ever heard, he caught the poor felloith his terrible horns, just as he had nearly got out of reach, and tossed hi round and round to a great height, the body fell into the fork of the branches of the tree The buffalo went round the tree roaring, and looking for the ain fell down on its knees The other hunters then attacked and killed hi in the tree, quite dead”
”Well; I have no doubt but that such would have been the fate of Swanevelt or of ot hold of us,” said the Major; ”I never saw such a nant, diabolical expression in any animal's countenance as there was upon that buffalo's A lion is, I should say, a gentleman and a man of honor compared to such an evil-disposed ruffian”
”Well, Major, you have only to let theressor,” said Swinton, laughing
”Very true; I never wish to see one again”