A HUNTER'S PARADISE 63 



climbed up into the fork of the tree. There I clung, shaking 

 with fright, the perspiration pouring down my face and 

 blinding me. Luckily, though I was unaware of it at the 

 time, my topi had not fallen off, as I usually wore it with 

 a stout, leather chin-strap. As I climbed up into the fork 

 I had a dim realization of a great heavy dark mass rushing 

 beneath me. It was the bison, and when I began to recover 

 my senses somewhat I looked about to ascertain the position 

 of affairs. I soon saw the bull. He was out in the open, 

 his impetus having carried him some considerable distance. 

 He was now advancing in my direction at a shambling 

 trot, and, passing quite close to the tree, went on into the 

 forest ; to shortly depart for good, I hoped, when he could 

 not find me. I had read, it is true, of men being " treed " 

 by bison, but I did not imagine then that my position 

 would entail anything but momentary inconvenience now 

 that I was out of his reach. As I recovered from my fright 

 my chief feeling was one of wrath at the young bull whose 

 blundering interference had, I then thought, caused me to 

 lose the old bull. However, I may say at once that no trace 

 of blood was subsequently found on the latter's trail and 

 I do not think he suffered much from the encounter. 



As has been said the young bull passed on into the forest, 

 and as I made myself as comfortable as possible in the 

 fork of the tree with my back resting against the thickest 

 stem, I heard him blundering about amongst the under- 

 growth, though the surrounding foHage prevented me 

 seeing him. 



As soon as I was comfortable I concentrated my attention 

 on the bison. He still seemed quite close, and then suddenly 

 the noise advanced in my direction and the brownish-black 

 form appeared about twenty yards away. I could not 

 make out what he was doing. He appeared to be, if I may 

 so express it, routing about in the undergrowth. Routing 

 about was the thought in my mind, and then suddenly I 

 thought of another term, " nosing " about. And with the 

 word my spine ran cold and I remembered what I had 

 read and heard of " treed " men — men in the position I was 

 in, in fact. That when wounded and thoroughly roused a 

 bison, discovering his enemy in a tree, would patiently wait 

 at the foot of it till weakness caused the latter to fall into 

 his power to be gored to death. I confess terror again 

 invaded me at the thought. My whole consciousness was 



