attention. Fortunately, for the moment, every
one, relaxed in the first reaction after the long morning, was keeping
silence. If the buffalo should look down, he could not fail to see
Billy; and if he saw her, he would indubitably kill her.

As has been explained, snapping the fingers does not seem to reach the
attention of wild animals. Therefore I snapped mine as vigorously as I
knew how. Billy heard, looked toward me, turned in the direction of my
gaze, and slowly sank prone against the ground. Some of the boys heard
me also, and I could see the heads of all of them popping up in interest
from the banks of the stream. My cautious but very frantic signals to
lie low were understood: the heads dropped back. Mavrouki, a rifle
in each hand, came worming his way toward me through the grass with
incredible quickness and agility. A moment later he thrust the 405
Winchester into my hand.

This weapon, powerful and accurate as it is, the best of the lot for
lions, was altogether too small for the tremendous brute before
me. However, the Holland was in camp; and I was very glad in the
circumstances to get this. The buffalo had browsed slowly forward into
the clear, and was now taking the top off a small bush, and facing half
away from us. It seemed to me quite the largest buffalo I had ever seen,
though I should have been willing to have acknowledged at that moment
that the circumstances had something to do with the estimate. However,
later we found that the impression was correct. He was verily a giant of
his kind. His height at the shoulder was five feet ten inches; and
his build was even chunkier than the usual solid robust pattern of
buffaloes. For example, his neck, just back of the horns, was two feet
eight inches thick! He weighed not far from three thousand pounds.

Once the rifle was in my hands I lost the feeling of utter helplessness,
and began to plan the best way out of the situation. As yet the beast
was totally unconscious of our presence; but that could not continue
long. There were too many men about. A chance current of air from any
one of a half dozen directions could not fail to give him the scent.
Then there would be lively doings. It was exceedingly desirable to
deliver the first careful blow of the engagement while he was unaware.
On the other hand, his present attitude-half away from me-was not
favourable; nor, in my exposed position dared I move to a better place.
There seemed nothing better than to