use of
his hand was the only damage this man suffered, fortunately for him.

These Dutchmen seemed to think that the black rhinoceros was the most
formidable customer in South Africa. The lion, which is considered in
England so far to exceed all other animals as dangerous game, did not
seem to be held in greater awe than either the rhinoceros or a solitary
old bull-buffalo. The latter is sometimes sent from a herd by a
combination of young bulls, who, disliking his monopoly of the ladies,
combine, and turn him out; he then seeks some deep ravine, and buries
himself amongst the bushes. He is always sly and vindictive, and will
suddenly rush out upon an intruder. One of these brutes once sprang
upon a gallant friend of mine, tumbling horse and rider over with a
charge that came and was past in an instant.

The Boers gave very interesting accounts of the enormous herds of game
in the interior. They acknowledged that a large herd of eland such as
we had seen was a fine sight, but said that the whole face of the
country covered for miles with a densely-packed body of blesbok,
bontebok, springbok, and wildebeest, was a still finer one. They said
in that the great "trek-boken," or journey of the springbok, the numbers
were inconceivable; that they destroyed all the grass, leaving the plain
like a vast cattle-fold; that hundreds died from being in the rear, and
not getting anything to eat, while those in front were fat, but from
this very cause became at last lazy, and gradually fell in the rear, to
become thin in their turn, and again move to the front.

CHAPTER NINE.

BUSH-SHOOTING--SILENT WALKING--HOW TO COCK A GUN--HOW TO SIT DOWN--
DELIGHTS OF THE BUSH--HOW TO OBTAIN HONEY--THE HONEY-BIRD--THE GREY
MONKEY--BALL BETTER THAN SHOT--VARIETY OF BUSH GAME--HARDENING BULLETS--
THE ALLIGATOR--THE POUW--BOLDNESS OF THE EAGLE--THE OSPREY.

Silence and quietness are the two important acquirements for success in
bush-shooting, and a sharp look-out must also be kept on the surrounding
forest: the hunter must move like a ghost, and have his eyes everywhere.
Few understand what the term quiet walking means until they become
expert bush-rangers.

My careful follower, Inyovu, will now enter the bush with me in search
of buck. We are not armed for elephants (that is, our guns are of too
small a calibre), so we keep a look-out for their fresh footprints, or
other traces, and immediately take care to avoid the animals. Inyo