To tell the truth, I was very glad that our trip had come to such a
satisfactory conclusion, for, although I would not admit it even to
myself, I could not get rid of a kind of sneaking dread lest after
all there might be something in the old dwarf's prophecy about a
disagreeable adventure with a buffalo which was in store for me. Well,
as it chanced, we had not so much as seen a buffalo, and as the road
which we were going to take back to the kraal ran over high, bare
country that these animals did not frequent, there was now little
prospect of our doing so--all of which, of course, showed what I already
knew, that only weak-headed superstitious idiots would put the slightest
faith in the drivelling nonsense of deceiving or self-deceived Kafir
medicine-men. These things, indeed, I pointed out with much vigour to
Saduko before we turned in on the last night of the hunt.
Saduko listened in silence and said nothing at all, except that he would
not keep me up any longer, as I must be tired.
Now, whatever may be the reason for it, my experience in life is that it
is never wise to brag about anything. At any rate, on a hunting trip, to
come to a particular instance, wait until you are safe at home till you
begin to do so. Of the truth of this ancient adage I was now destined to
experience a particularly fine and concrete example.
The place where we had camped was in scattered bush overlooking a great
extent of dry reeds, that in the wet season was doubtless a swamp fed by
a small river which ran into it on the side opposite to our camp. During
the night I woke up, thinking that I heard some big beasts moving in
these reeds; but as no further sounds reached my ears I went to sleep
again.
Shortly after dawn I was awakened by a voice calling me, which in a hazy
fashion I recognised as that of Umbezi.
"Macumazahn," said the voice in a hoarse whisper, "the reeds below us
are full of buffalo. Get up. Get up at once."
"What for?" I answered. "If the buffalo came into the reeds they will go
out of them. We do not want meat."
"No, Macumazahn; but I want their hides. Panda, the King, has demanded
fifty shields of me, and without killing oxen that I can ill spare I
have not the skins whereof to make them. Now, these buffalo are in a
trap. This swamp is like a dish with one mouth. They cannot get out
at the sides of the dish, and the mouth by which they came in is very
narrow. If we station ourselves at either side of it we can kill many of
them."