84 A LUCKY SHOT.

in width, which bordered a khor called Fur-fur, where water flowed for about two miles, and then lost itself in the sand. We threw stones and sticks after the buffalo, without any result ; and a native who was with us climbed a tree to see if he could catch sight of it, but could neither see nor hear any thing of it, so that it was impossible to determine whether the animal was dead or not. About an hour after, on approaching the grass from the side of the khor, we heard something moving inside, and making a noise as though endeavouring to rise.

The natives, on hearing this, were most anxious that we should set fire to the grass, and so drive the brute out ; but the grass was too green for this to be done, and we did not attempt it. My brother finally climbed a tree, while I stood in the bed of the kJior in case the buffalo should come out in my direction. I had not long to wait before I- heard my brother sing out, Look out, it's coming ! " The words were hardly out of his mouth, when I heard a noise in the grass ; and the buffalo emerged opposite to where I stood, about sixty yards off, and made straight for me. A lucky shot in the ear turned it, and it fell on its side.

It proved to be a large cow ; and my shot, though a fatal one, by no means finished her at once. She was game to the last, and several times tried to rise, and charge me : the poor brute was, however, done, and a second shot soon put an end to her. On examination we found that the first shot had struck her rather far back. We then went after the other wounded buffalo. Salee was with us, and tracked it in the most wonderful way for over six miles. The track often became so faint that we lost it altogether ; and the animal led us through very thick covert, several times across the kJior., and over a hill. Just at dusk, as we were thinking of giving it up, Salee declared that he was sure, from the appearance of its tracks, that we were