194 A SECOND FAILURE.

In the afternoon we again returned to the chase ; and this time my brother obtained a snap-shot at the buffalo as he bolted through the trees, though with no apparent effect. After this we pursued him for a long way, and were on the point of giving up, when we came upon him, standing amongst mimosa-bushes so thick that we could scarcely distinguish his head from his tail. After vainly endeavouring to improve our position, we fired simultaneously ; he charged furiously out into a more open place, and stood pawing the ground, with lowered head and snorting savagely. Momentarily expecting his charge, we reserved our second barrels for close quarters. As they say in diplomatic circles, ''the position had become somewhat strained." A moment's intense anxiety, and he suddenly wheeled round, and once more tore through the bushes in undignified retreat, receiving a bullet from my ten-bore on his way. We did not feel sure in what part he had been wounded, but we followed the blood track until the rapidly decreasing daylight warned that it was time to desist ; and, greatly disappointed, we acknowledged defeat, and turned our steps campward.

On our way we passed a large zariba containing a great many goats and sheep, and where the people were most obliging, insisting upon our imbibing huge draughts of milk, which did not require much pressing on their part, as we were extremely hot and thirsty. We arranged with them for a daily supply of milk during the remainder of our stay at Om Hagar. There is next to no twilight in these latitudes ; darkness soon overtook us, and we found that it was indeed no joke to thread one's way amongst the vicious thorn-bushes with which our path was beset.

Lort Phillips had that afternoon caught a gamoot weighing thirty-one pounds ; and Aylmer and Colvin had passed a long