African Hunter Published Books Campfire Tales Volume 1 of 20 | Page 9

in the vehicle. Though we could not see a thing through the dust,
we could hear the horn’s blare. The noise increased as the dust
cloud got closer. The ploy had worked. The herd was rumbling
right back at us! We had set up on the riverbank hoping to get a
shot if they returned. The buffalo abruptly halted to cool their heels
in a stand of trees on the opposite bank. Knowing that we were on
the other side, they were loath to cross the open riverbed. Their
dilemma was that they were just as reluctant to confront the Land
Cruiser behind them. They just milled about in no man’s land,
clearly edgy and agitated. Something had to give, the stalemate
must be broken.
Jorrem would swing around to the other side of the herd. They
were now boxed into a triangle with their escape route cut off.
Let’s see, the defenseless Jorrem was by his lonesome trying to
shoo the herd towards us. Debra and Taka, also sans weapons were
fervently hoping they didn’t turn around. They were probably two
miles away by now. Pete and I though armed were hoping that
nearly one hundred tons of unpredictable nastiness would come
our way, probably at warp speed. We had ’em just where we
wanted ’em. Yeah, right.
Suddenly, the herd picked their poison. “Here they come!” I
heard myself saying. “Let’s go!” Pete shouted above the roar. We
ran down the bank towards a well worn rutted path to the river.
They would likely cross here. Up went the shooting stick barely
fifteen yards from the path.
“Load a soft point!” barked Pete. It was done in a flash. It was
as if the earth exploded around us. The roar of the pounding hooves
was deafening as the dust engulfed us. Trying to see through it
was like peeking through the snow in a snowstorm. One could see
forms but nothing was distinct. Furthermore, they were so tightly
bunched together and moving so swiftly that the herd was a virtual
train rambling through. My stomach was in knots and my heart
African Hunter Magazine - Campfire Tales, Volume One

Page 9