To begin with, the wind was not favourable, and further, we must certainly be perceived, however careful we were, against the blinding background of snow, which we should be obliged to traverse.
"Well, we must have a try from where we are," said Sir Henry.

"Which shall it be, Quatermain, the repeating rifles or the expresses ?" Here again was a question.

The Winchester repeaters--of which we had two, Umbopa carrying poor Ventvoegel's as well as his own--were sighted up to a thousand yards, whereas the expresses were only sighted to three hundred and fifty, beyond which distance shooting with them was more or less guess-work.

On the other hand, if they did hit, the express bullets, being "expanding," were much more likely to bring the game down.

It was a knotty point, but I made up my mind that we must risk it and use the expresses.
"Let each of us take the buck opposite to him.