Big Game Shooting, volume 1 (of 2)Phillipps-Wolley, Clive
General
Big Game Shooting, volume 1 (of 2)
Phillipps-Wolley, Clive
Game and game-birds; Hunting
This made it necessary for us to take up their spoor, and while the
gun-bearers were so engaged I kept a look-out ahead. After going a
short distance, I suddenly saw one of the brutes trotting back towards
us, and when about 100 yards off it dived into a small dense clump of
bush some 20 yards square, followed almost immediately afterwards by
the other one. This proceeding on the part of buffaloes I have read
of, though it was the first and only instance in my own experience,
and as my suspicions were aroused, instead of making straight for them
along their spoor, I made a détour through the low straggling bush and
stalked up to a small tree within 60 yards of the clump they were in.
At first I could see nothing of them, the clump being too thick, but
with the aid of binoculars I made out part of the head and the outline
of the neck of one of them as it stood broadside on. Taking the 8-bore,
I fired at the place where I thought his shoulder ought to be, and he
fell with a deep groan, which at first led me to believe that he was
either dead or dying. The other one promptly floundered out of the bush
and stood broadside on, looking in my direction sufficiently long to
enable me to change rifles and plant a 4-bore bullet in his shoulder;
but it was too high and too far back, and off he went. In the meantime
the other one in the clump, after kicking and plunging about, picked
himself up and went after his companion, and as I saw that he was very
lame, I made so certain that he would not go far that I did not fire at
him again. Before following them I took a hasty survey of the ground
and found my suspicions confirmed. They had returned on their own spoor
when I first saw them trotting back, and had I not seen them, I should
have followed up their spoor, which I found led close past the bush
they were in, and they might have made themselves disagreeable and
taken me at a disadvantage. I then hurried after them with the 8-bore,
and, outrunning my gun-bearers, soon overtook them, as they were both
lame, getting within 70 yards, when the one which had received the
4-bore bullet, and was a trifle behind the other, evidently heard me
coming along behind him, as he whisked round and stood staring at me,
broadside on, whilst the other continued to retreat. Sitting down (my
favourite shooting position, and as I was much blown after my run with
a heavy rifle), I took a steady shot at his shoulder, and distinctly
heard the bullet strike, but it had absolutely no effect, and the beast
never even flinched. Hastily jamming in another cartridge in order
to have one in reserve in case he should charge, I again fired at his
shoulder, and he dropped as if struck by lightning; he fell so quickly
that I did not see him fall. He was, however, not dead, as I could see
his side heaving above the top of the grass as he lay. By this time the
gun-bearers had come up, followed shortly afterwards by the rest of
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