206 MOVING HOMEWARDS.

they had torn the poor brute's hind-quarters all to pieces. It was quite evident, from the way in which the ground was torn up by the buffalo's hoofs, that the hyaenas had attacked it while alive, and that it had made a desperate struggle to defend itself before giving in. We left a camel and some men with the carcase, and started to find the herd. We had no difficulty in taking up their tracks from where we had left them yesterday, and found, too, the blood-marks of the other wounded animal ; but these we soon lost again. We spent a very long, hot day, in the pursuit of this herd ; the wind was generally wrong, and it was not until after much crawling through long grass, and dodging from tree to tree, that late in the afternoon we either of us succeeded in obtaining a shot ; it was a long one, and the buffalo went off wounded. Again, after a short pursuit, the setting sun obliged us to desist, and we returned to camp.

" March 22. — Started early after our wounded buffalo, which we had left not far from camp ; its tracks were difficult to follow, and very soon crossed those of the herd. However, we were not long in finding the wounded animal, which unfortunately proved to be another cow, a very old one, with a fine head. She had retreated into thick covert near the river, and a ball in the shoulder at fifty yards brought her to bag. A crowd of Hamrans had followed us, eager for meat ; and as we had plenty in camp, and were, moreover, shifting our quarters, we gave most of it away. One piece of hide, sufficient to make a shield, we exchanged for some small ' hippo's ' teeth.

This is the first day of our return homewards. We marched to the water in Khor Meheteb, encamping near the place where we had previously sat up watching for game. Lort Phillips, who is very fond of fishing, tried the Settite for the last time on the expedition, and caught a gamoot weighing twenty-five pounds. Arthur shot a small crocodile.