THE AMERICAN WHALEMAN. 213 



The party on shore were intent on the pursuit of seals, 

 but we soon marked the tracks of cattle in the sand, and so 

 far away from the settlement that we held the animals le- 

 gitimate objects of the chase ; so we started on the trail. 

 After a short search we found a young bull, hidden in a 

 thicket of mangroves. He was so wild that he seemed a 

 foeman wo/thy of our clubs. After some threatening dem- 

 onstrations, he started on the run for the interior. As ill 

 luck, my length of leg, or training on the hills of Pennsyl- 

 vania would have it, I outran my shipmates, and soon the 

 bull and I had the fun to ourselves. Suddenly he turned, 

 and stood for a moment measuring his foe. He then low- 

 ered his horns and made for me. I at once appreciated the 

 change of the situation, and the difference between a fright- 

 ened bull's tail receding and a mad bull's horns advancing. 

 The game was now changed, and I ordered a retreat, but 

 found that he was too fast for me. I was at bay, and a 

 well-directed blow of the iron-clad seal-club brought him to 

 his knees. He soon recovered, and with an ugly bellow 

 came at me twice, and twice more I baffled him. It now 

 occurred to me that yelling for help was in order, and this 

 soon brought my companions to the scene of action. They 

 overmastered my antagonist, and he lay panting on his back, 

 with his horns tucked well under the neck and stuck deep- 

 ly in the soil, a prisoner. A council of war was held. The 

 majority were reasonable, and voted to report him to the 

 Spaniards, to whom he would be valuable. But a few of 

 the men secretly resolved to have fresh-beef supplies, and 

 they followed the released bull to the beach, where they kill- 

 ed him, foolishly, in the sight of the Elmira. Some Span- 

 iards on board that ship reported at once to Captain B , 



who, much angered, pulled ashore and brought beef and 

 butchers on board. 



Although late in the day, the captain . proceeded at 'c:,ce 



