254 MR CANTERALL'S BULLS IN BUCKRAM. 



buffalo, taking very good care to watch that the rear of 

 the route did not deploy and get me in lino, I pulled up, 

 and thus got, if an unsteady shot, still such a shot as en 

 abled me to take somo aim and hit one beast or the 

 other. My first shot told, but struck the bull, as I very 

 well saw, too far back, or, as we should say with a deer, 

 paunched him ; my second shot I could see nothing of, 

 and then I slackened speed to reload. Alas ! the exploded 

 cartridges neither of them would withdraw, by the pur 

 chase of the exploded needle. My hunting-knife was too 

 large to permit of a hold on the edge of the cartridge 

 itself, and I pulled up, terribly chagrined at seeing the 

 herd, with the wounded one falling to the rear, keep 

 on in their persevering gallop till they got out of my 

 sight. There was nothing left for it, then, but to return 

 to the waggon. 



In going back, however, my eyes detected Bayard 

 standing over a two-year-old bull, which he had killed, 

 and Mr Canterall also joined me with an assertion that 

 he had killed two large bulls and a calf. On my asking 

 where they were, he replied, " Oh, there away, that's a 

 fact, guv'nor, t'other side the hills." " Where are their 

 tongues and tails ? " I asked. " Oh," he replied, " I did 

 not stay to take them, I came on after you." "Very 

 well, then," I said, " / believe the calf, for at starting I 

 caught a glimpse of that ; but as to the bulls, I don't 

 believe a word of it ; come on to Mr Bayard." We then 

 went, and got the excellent meat, &c., of the two-year- 

 old ; that done, in some amusement I asked Mr Canterall 

 " to take me to his two bulls." To that desire he made 

 evasive answers; first " they were too far," then "they 

 were very old, and not worth going after," and at last he 

 abandoned the idea cf them altogether, the truth being 



