to
see the man impaled, or at least tossed high in the air. But instead I
beheld as splendid an exhibition of courage and alertness as I think I
have ever witnessed, for the man, firmly standing his ground to the very
last fraction of a second, sprang nimbly to one side at the precise
moment when, as it seemed, the point of the horn was about to be dashed
into his naked body, and then, as the great beast thundered past within
reach of his hand, down flashed the formidable, broad-bladed bangwan,
with so sure and strong a stroke that the buffalo crashed headlong to
the ground dead, with its fierce heart cleft in twain.

And in like manner perished seven of its companions, the ninth buffalo
wreaking its revenge for the death of the other eight in a peculiarly
ghastly manner. Precisely how the tragedy happened none of us knew, for
it chanced that our attention was concentrated elsewhere at the moment;
but a sharp, shrill scream of mortal agony sounding out on the hot air
apprised us that something untoward was happening. Glancing quickly in
the direction from which the sound proceeded, I was horrified to see
that one unfortunate warrior had somehow failed to avoid a buffalo's
charge, and was now writhing transfixed on one of the horns of the great
brute, which the next instant flung the poor fellow high in the air, and
then, with a savage bellow, swerved and came thundering straight toward
the king and myself, where we sat on our horses close together watching
the exciting scene that was being enacted before us. A startled cry
from the induna commanding the squad which was at that moment in special
charge of the king's person caused the eleven men who had until now sat
quiescent upon their horses to fling themselves hastily to the ground
and dash forward to protect their monarch. But there was no time for
this; the buffalo was within a dozen yards of us, and I could see that
he had singled out Moshesh as the particular object of his attack,
attracted, no doubt, by His Majesty's scarlet tunic. The king might of
course have escaped by promptly wheeling his horse and galloping away;
but his pride and self-esteem would have suffered a mortal wound had he
been driven to flight in the presence of a white man, although there was
a certain quality in his hurried glances to right and left that seemed
to tell me that he meditated something of the sort, rather than stand
his ground and take his chance. Fortunately I had reloade