We continued to advance, and we were within about ninety paces of them
when suddenly the whole herd of about two hundred buffaloes, headed by
the two bulls before noticed, dashed straight towards us at full gallop.
So simultaneous was the onset that it resembled a sudden charge of
cavalry, and the ground vibrated beneath their heavy hoofs. Their tails
were thrown high above their backs, and the mad and overpowering phalanx
of heads and horns came rushing forward as though to sweep us at once
from the face of the earth.
There was not an instant to be lost; already but a short space
intervened between us and apparently certain destruction. Our
gun-bearers were almost in the act of flight; but catching hold of the
man who carried the long two-ounce rifle, and keeping him by my side, I
awaited the irresistible onset with the four-ounce.
The largest of the bulls was some yards in advance, closely followed by
his companion, and the herd in a compact mass came thundering down at
their heels. Only fifty yards separated us; we literally felt among
them, and already experienced a sense of being over-run. I did not look
at the herd, but I kept my eye upon the big bull leader. On they flew,
and were within thirty paces of us, when I took a steady shot with the
four-ounce, and the leading bull plunged head-foremost in the turf,
turning a complete summersault. Snatching the two-ounce from the
petrified gun-bearer, I hadjust time for a shot as the second bull was
within fifteen paces, and at the flash of the rifle his horns ploughed
up the turf, and he lay almost at our feet. That lucky shot turned the
whole herd. When certain destruction threatened us, they suddenly
wheeled to their left when within twenty paces of the guns, and left us
astonished victors of the field. We poured an ineffectual volley into
the retreating herd from the light guns as they galloped off in full
retreat, and reloaded as quickly as possible, as the two bulls, although
floored, were still alive. They were, however, completely powerless, and
a double-barrelled gun gave each the "coup-de-grace" by a ball in the
forehead. Both rifle shots had struck at the point of junction of the
throat and chest, and the four-ounce ball had passed out of the
hind-quarter. Our friend of yesterday, although hit in precisely the
same spot, had laughed at the light guns.
Although I have since killed about two hundred wild buffaloes I have
never witnessed another charge by a herd. This was an extraordinary
occurrence, and fortunately stands alone in buffalo-shooting. Were it
not for the two heavy rifles our career might have terminated in an
unpleasant manner. As I before mentioned, this part of the country was
seldom or never disturbed at the time of which I write, and the
buffaloes were immensely numerous and particularly savage, nearly always
turning to bay and showing good sport when attacked.
Having cut out the tongues from the two bulls, we turned homeward to
breakfast. Skirting along the edge of the lake, which abounded with
small creeks, occasioning us many circuits, we came suddenly upon a
single bull, who, springing from his lair of mud and high grass, plunged
into a creek, and, swimming across, exposed himself to a dead shot as he
landed on the opposite bank about a hundred paces from us. The
four-ounce struck him in the hind-quarters and broke the hip joint, and,
continuing its course along his body, it pierced his lungs and lodged in
the skin of the throat. The bull immediately fell, but regaining his
feet he took to the water, and swam to a small island of high grass
about thirty yards from the shore. Upon gaining this he turned and faced
us, but in a few seconds he fell unable to rise, and received a merciful
shot in the head, which despatched him.
We were just leaving the border of the lake on our way to the village,
when two cow buffaloes sprang up from one of the numerous inlets and
retreated at full gallop towards the jungle, offering a splendid side
shot at about a hundred paces. The leading cow plunged head-foremost
into the grass as the four-ounce struck her through both shoulders. She
was a fine young cow, and we cut some steaks from her in case we should
find a scarcity of provisions at Minneria and, quitting the shores of
the lake, we started for breakfast.
It was only 8 A.M. when we arrived. I had bagged five buffaloes, four of
which were fine bulls. Our revenge was complete, and I had proved that
the four-ounce was perfectly irresistible if held straight with the
heavy charge of twelve drachms of powder. Since that time I have
frequently used sixteen drachms (one ounce) of powder to the charge, but
the recoil is then very severe, although the effect upon an animal with
a four-ounce steel-tipped conical ball is tremendous.
On our return to the village of Minneria we found a famous breakfast,
for which a bath in the neighbouring brook increased an appetite already
sharpened by the morning exercise. The buffalo steaks were coarse and
bad, as tough as leather, and certainly should never be eaten if better
food can be obtained. The tongues are very rich, but require salting.
In those days Minneria was not spoiled by visitors, and supplies were
accordingly at a cheap rate--large fowls at one penny each, milk at any
price that you chose to give for it. This is now much changed, and the
only thing that is still ridiculously cheap is fish.
Give a man sixpence to catch you as many as he can in the morning, and
he forthwith starts on his piscatorial errand with a large basket, cone
shaped, of two feet diameter at the bottom and about eight inches at the
top.
