Yet, notwithstanding this extreme dryness of the
atmosphere, without a drop of rain having fallen for months, and
scarcely any dew, many of the shrubs and trees were putting forth
fresh leaves of various hues, while others made a profuse display of
lovely blossoms.
Two old and very savage buffaloes were shot for our companions on the
3rd October. Our Volunteers may feel an interest in knowing that
balls sometimes have but little effect: one buffalo fell, on
receiving a Jacob's shell; it was hit again twice, and lost a large
amount of blood; and yet it sprang up, and charged a native, who, by
great agility, had just time to climb a tree, before the maddened
beast struck it, battering-ram fashion, hard enough almost to have
split both head and tree. It paused a few seconds - drew back several
paces - glared up at the man - and then dashed at the tree again and
again, as if determined to shake him out of it. It took two more
Jacob's shells, and five other large solid rifle-balls to finish the
beast at last. These old surly buffaloes had been wandering about in
a sort of miserable fellowship; their skins were diseased and scabby,
as if leprous, and their horns atrophied or worn down to stumps - the
first was killed outright, by one Jacob's shell, the second died
hard. There is so much difference in the tenacity of life in wounded
animals of the same species, that the inquiry is suggested where the
seat of life can be?
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