the Masai streamed down their arrows into the backs of the
giant brutes, until the wounded ones turned and lashed out at their
fellows. Shot after shot poured down into the crowded mass of buffalo,
and a moment later Charlie knew that the fight was all but won. Those in
the van had gone down, those behind were rearing and trampling, fighting
each other in desperate confusion, forgetting what lay ahead.

Suddenly a yell of terror from behind startled Charlie and he saw Jack
whirl with a shout. While they had been fighting the foe in front, a
single bull, led perhaps by some instinct, had quietly ascended the hill
from the rear and was shaking his head angrily at Bakari and his
remaining five men.

As the boys turned, the Masai unhesitatingly poured spears at him, and
with a bellow of pain he charged them. They faced him gallantly, but
before Jack or Charlie could fire, one went high in air and another was
trampled under foot. Gholab leaped from the wagon with his small rifle,
and sprang forward; but, taking a desperate chance, Jack had fired at
the brute's shoulder. The buffalo turned and made for the little party,
and as he did so Gholab Singh shot him through the eye at ten yards.

A yell of delight from Guru drew Charlie back to the front. Here it was
evident that the buffalo were retiring, only two solitary bulls
charging through the bloody, tangled mass of hoofs and horns. One of
these the General dropped, and Amir Ali attended to the other. A moment
later the herd drew away, sullenly and fighting among themselves still,
to the shelter of the reeds, where the snortings and bellowings
gradually died away in the distance.

With the lifting of the terrific strain, Charlie staggered and caught
Schoverling's arm, while Jack sank down beside him with drawn face. Guru
and his comrades leaped down the hill to kill the wounded, kicking
bulls.

"There, boys, you take it easy," said the explorer, his voice just a
trifle shaken. "That was pretty bad for a minute, but we pulled out all
right."

"Better see to the Masai," said Charlie faintly.

Schoverling looked up, noting for the first time the slain bull by the
wagon. The boys watched him leap to the side of von Hofe, who was
kneeling over the injured men.

"I've had about enough of this country," grunted Charlie, rising shakily
as his weakness passed. "Feel better?"

"Some." Jack, also unsteady under the reaction of their great mental and
physical strain, got to h