Gobo was lying close to me,
groaning vigorously, but, as I suspected, quite unhurt; while from the
aloe bush into which No. 3 had bounded like a tennis ball, issued a
succession of the most piercing yells.
"I looked, and saw that this unfortunate fellow was in a very tight
place. A great spike of aloe had run through the back of his skin
waist-belt, though without piercing his flesh, in such a fashion that it
was impossible for him to move, while within six feet of him the injured
buffalo bull, thinking, no doubt, that he was the aggressor, bellowed
and ramped to get at him, tearing the thick aloes with his great horns.
That no time was to be lost, if I wished to save the man's life, was
very clear. So seizing my eight-bore, which was fortunately uninjured, I
took a pace to the left, for the rhinoceros had enlarged the hole in the
bush, and aimed at the point of the buffalo's shoulder, since on account
of my position I could not get a fair side shot for the heart. As I did
so I saw that the rhinoceros had given the bull a tremendous wound
in the stomach, and that the shock of the encounter had put his left
hind-leg out of joint at the hip. I fired, and the bullet striking the
shoulder broke it, and knocked the buffalo down. I knew that he could
not get up any more, because he was now injured fore and aft, so
notwithstanding his terrific bellows I scrambled round to where he was.
There he lay glaring furiously and tearing up the soil with his horns.
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