THE BUFFALO SCORES 65 the grass, turning a sharp corner Halt ! Five yards away, the rest of the body hidden in a bush and grass, and quite invisible, vvere part of the hindquarters of a huge, uncouth, recumbent animal, black-skinned and sparsely covered with short hair. A bull buffalo was resting in the heat of the day, and had passed along this track before us. No vital spot was visible, no approach from elsewhere showed itself ; the cane-like grass stems gave scarce elbow-room on either side ; with the fire behind us, it was backward or forward, with only a second's respite for choice of plans. I quietly retreated a few yards to a fork in the track, the men firing the grass, having no choice but to leave the buffalo to leeward as we went.

The ground was clear outside, and from a convenient point I awaited with my 'SOS the onrush of the flames and of a furious bull, left only 40 yards away. The flames marched forward, and, drowned by their roaring crackle, one could hear no rustle of the grass ; the patch was burnt out, and from our sad eyes the big black brute had vanished. I had trusted to the smoke from the fire of the grass masking our scent as we skirted round him, but he doubtless knew perfectly well each detail of our movements.

The sense of smell in this animal is developed to an extraordinary extent, and, combined with great cunning and savageness, probably justifies him in being classed one of the most dangerous of the 5