Half an hour later the four of us who were armed with guns were posted
behind rocks on either side of the steep, natural roadway cut by water,
which led down to the vlei, and with us some of Umbezi's men. That chief
himself was at my side--a post of honour which he had insisted upon
taking. To tell the truth, I did not dissuade him, for I thought that
I should be safer so than if he were opposite to me, since, even if the
old rifle did not go off of its own accord, Umbezi, when excited, was a
most uncertain shot. The herd of buffalo appeared to have lain down in
the reeds, so, being careful to post ourselves first, we sent three of
the native bearers to the farther side of the vlei, with instructions to
rouse the beasts by shouting. The remainder of the Zulus--there were ten
or a dozen of them armed with stabbing spears--we kept with us.
But what did these scoundrels do? Instead of disturbing the herd
by making a noise, as we told them, for some reason best known to
themselves--I expect it was because they were afraid to go into the
vlei, where they might meet the horn of a buffalo at any moment--they
fired the dry reeds in three or four places at once, and this, if you
please, with a strong wind blowing from them to us. In a minute or two
the farther side of the swamp was a sheet of crackling flame that gave
off clouds of dense white smoke. Then pandemonium began.
The sleeping buffalo leapt to their feet, and, after a few moments of
indecision, crashed towards us, the whole huge herd of them, snorting
and bellowing like mad things. Seeing what was about to happen, I nipped
behind a big boulder, while Scowl shinned up a mimosa with the swiftness
of a cat and, heedless of its thorns, sat himself in an eagle's nest
at the top. The Zulus with the spears bolted to take cover where they
could. What became of Saduko I did not see, but old Umbezi, bewildered
with excitement, jumped into the exact middle of the roadway, shouting: "They come! They come! Charge, buffalo folk, if you will. The
Eater-up-of-Elephants awaits you!"
"You etceterad old fool!" I shouted, but got no farther, for just at
this moment the first of the buffalo, which I could see was an enormous
bull, probably the leader of the herd, accepted Umbezi's invitation and
came, with its nose stuck straight out in front of it. Umbezi's gun went
off, and next instant he went up. Through the smoke I saw his black bulk
in the air, and then heard it alight with a thud on the top of the rock
behind which I was crouching.