s riding Prince,
upon whom I knew I could absolutely depend; therefore, instead of
dismounting, I turned him to the right with a touch of my heel and a
slight pressure of the rein, very nearly broadside-on to the approaching
herd, and flung the rifle up to my shoulder. It was a rather long shot,
and at eight hundred yards even a buffalo, coming head on, presents but
a comparatively small target, especially when the grass happens to be
breast-high; nevertheless I got the sights to bear dead upon the centre
of the bull's forehead, about halfway between the horns and the eyes,
and, watching for the proper moment, pressed the trigger. The flash and
report of the piece were immediately followed by sounds of fierce
stamping and plunging close at hand, and out of the corner of my eye I
saw that the king's high-mettled stallion was fighting hard to break
away and make a bolt for it; then, just as the bull stumbled, recovered
himself, and finally turned a complete somersault, I heard the loud thud
of the bullet on the thick skull, and knew that my shot had got home.

"W-a-a-u!" ejaculated the king, giving vent to a long-drawn expression
of amazement; "yena chiele (he is hit)! The fire weapon is indeed
'mkulu 'mtagati (great magic)! The beast fell dead as though smitten by
lightning. Can you do that again, white man, or was it merely chance?"

"You shall see," said I, as I rammed a wad down upon a fresh powder
charge and slipped a bullet in after it. As I set the trigger to
half-cock I saw that the powder was well up in the nipple; therefore,
slipping on a cap and setting the trigger to full-cock, I again levelled
the piece and bowled over the leading buffalo.

"It is enough!" exclaimed the king soberly. "No wonder that you
conquered the tribes who rose against you if you were all armed like
that! Now, children," he continued, throwing up his hand as he
addressed his little body of immediate followers, "show the white man
how the Basuto kills buffalo!"

The herd had originally numbered eleven, nine of which were still upon
their feet, and, with the vindictive fearlessness which is the chief
characteristic of the Cape buffalo, charging straight down upon our
party; at a word, therefore, from the induna who was in command of the
contingent, nine of the warriors flung away their shields and casting
assagais, and, gripping the single bangwan, or stabbing assagai, with
which each of them was also armed, drove their heels in