“Why, we haven’t seen it!” I replied.
“No, nor we ain’t going to, seemingly. It’s wind amongst the trees.”
“Don’t be so obstinate,” I said, listening intently to hear the heavy thunderous murmur still, now I listened for it, though I had not seemed to notice it before.
“There ain’t no waterfall,” he replied, “or we should have seen it before now.”
“Perhaps the shape of the land keeps us from getting near it, or perhaps the wind drives the sound away.”
“Or perhaps the sound drives the wind away, or perhaps the— Look out, Joe, look out!”
Jack Penny leaped aside nimbly, and I followed his example, hardly escaping, while the man in front of me, less quick in his motion consequent upon his having a load upon his head, was sent flying by a great slate-coloured buffalo which had suddenly charged us from behind a clump of trees where it had been lying.
It all happened so quickly that I had not time to think of my gun, while the doctor was fifty yards behind, and could not have fired had he been able to see, for fear of hurting us.
The great beast had stopped for a moment after sending our bearer flying, and then, seeing him down, snorted a little, lowered his head, and would doubtless have tossed and trampled him to death had there not suddenly come a whirring whizzing noise from some bushes in a hollow on our right, when something struck the buffalo a heavy blow upon the muzzle, making it turn up its head, utter a furious roar, and charge at the bushes.
This was my opportunity, and taking a quick aim I fired, and heard the bullet strike with a heavy thud, when the buffalo seemed to drop upon its knees on the steep slope, and literally turned a somersault, crashing with a tremendous noise into some trees; and then, to my astonishment, rising again and going off at a lumbering gallop.