uds of dense white smoke. Then pandemonium began.

The sleeping buffalo leapt to their feet, and, after a few moments of
indecision, crashed towards us, the whole huge herd of them, snorting
and bellowing like mad things. Seeing what was about to happen, I nipped
behind a big boulder, while Scowl shinned up a mimosa with the swiftness
of a cat and, heedless of its thorns, sat himself in an eagle's nest
at the top. The Zulus with the spears bolted to take cover where they
could. What became of Saduko I did not see, but old Umbezi, bewildered
with excitement, jumped into the exact middle of the roadway, shouting:

"They come! They come! Charge, buffalo folk, if you will. The
Eater-up-of-Elephants awaits you!"

"You etceterad old fool!" I shouted, but got no farther, for just at
this moment the first of the buffalo, which I could see was an enormous
bull, probably the leader of the herd, accepted Umbezi's invitation and
came, with its nose stuck straight out in front of it. Umbezi's gun went
off, and next instant he went up. Through the smoke I saw his black bulk
in the air, and then heard it alight with a thud on the top of the rock
behind which I was crouching.

"Exit Umbezi," I said to myself, and by way of a requiem let the bull
which had hoisted him, as I thought to heaven, have an ounce of lead
in the ribs as it passed me. After that I did not fire any more, for it
occurred to me that it was as well not to further advertise my presence.

In all my hunting experience I cannot remember ever seeing such a sight
as that which followed. Out of the vlei rushed the buffalo by dozens,
every one of them making remarks in its own language as it came. They
jammed in the narrow roadway, they leapt on to each other's backs. They
squealed, they kicked, they bellowed. They charged my friendly rock till
I felt it shake. They knocked over Scowl's mimosa thorn, and would have
shot him out of his eagle's nest had not its flat top fortunately caught
in that of another and less accessible tree. And with them came clouds
of pungent smoke, mixed with bits of burning reed and puffs of hot air.

It was over at last. With the exception of some calves, which had been
trampled to death in the rush, the herd had gone. Now, like the Roman
emperor--I think he was an emperor--I began to wonder what had become of
my legions.

"Umbezi," I shouted, or, rather, sneezed through the smoke, "are you
dead, Umbezi?"

"Yes, yes, Macumazahn," replied