, we rose to our knees and fired. The
two animals at which we had aimed leapt into the air at the same moment,
and fell over dead. Ombay, who had not expected us to make such
excellent shots, on this shouted with delight. The rest of the herd of
course galloped off, and were soon lost to sight amid the trunks of
trees on the opposite side of the prairie. The hunters on seeing this
rushed out, and instantly began flaying the animals, and cutting them
up.

Each man having loaded himself with as much as he could carry, we
returned to a spot inside the forest, previously chosen by our leader.
Fires were lighted, and our companions were soon making merry over the
buffalo meat. We found it fairly flavoured, but rather tough. Our camp
was formed in the usual manner with lean-to's, beneath which we
sheltered ourselves, and fires in front of them, the smoke of which
contributed to keep off the stinging insects which abounded, and the
bright light was calculated to scare the savage animals of the forest.
We had now become so familiarised to this sort of life, that we thought
nothing of it. Early in the morning Ombay called us up and told us,
through our interpreter, that buffalo were again likely to be feeding in
the prairie, and that we might have a chance of killing two or three
more. Of course we were ready for the sport,--indeed, the more animals
we killed, the more likely we were to propitiate the chief and his son.
We felt all the time that we were prisoners, although not actually in
chains, and that our masters might, at any time, change their conduct
and ill-treat us.

Jumping up from our bed of leaves, we shouldered our guns, and
accompanied by Aboh, we attended the prince and his party--a few of the
men only remaining to look after the camp and buffalo meat. As we were
making our way through the forest, we got somewhat separated from the
chief, of whom we caught a sight just as we were nearing the prairie.
We were hastening to overtake him, when a rending and crashing sound
reached our ears, followed by the most tremendous bellowing I ever
heard. Then came a sharp bark--so it sounded--and a roar such as I had
heard proceeding from the huge man ape I had encountered in the forest.
The next instant a buffalo burst from the cover. To its back was
clinging one of the monster creatures I have just mentioned. It clung
on with its powerful legs and arms with a tenacity against which all the
efforts of the buffalo