272 PRUDENCE THE BETTER PART OF VALOUR. 



seen. The four companions of this bull then walked 

 quietly away, but he showed no disposition to follow 

 them. On this we held a consultation as to whether we 

 would advance for another shot, and risk his coming at 

 us, or whether Bayard should return and bring up our 

 horses, and thus make more certain not only of our own 

 safety, but of the game. I ruled that we should have our 

 horses ; therefore Bayard went back to fetch them, while I 

 remained lying in the grass to watch the foe. On observ 

 ing that he showed no disposition to move, I also crept 

 back to the water-course, where I could stand up suffi 

 ciently to load my Manton rifle, and in a little time Bay 

 ard returned with the steeds, and we ordered Phill to lead 

 them in our rear, and to bring them up in an instant if 

 we gave him the sign. On crawling to the spot whence 

 we had fired, the game lay still in the same position ; so, 

 making a slight detour, at the risk of being seen, to have 

 him in a more available position, we again fired and fell 

 on our faces for an instant, when, looking up, we saw him, 

 though again stricken by both balls, set off in a long trot 

 over the prairies after his companions. A sign to Phill 

 and he came up with the horses, when I mounted my 

 pony, wishing to give Sylph a rest, and Bayard and my 

 self set off in pursuit. 



As I expected, the bull was too severely hit to go far ; 

 he broke at first from a trot into a canter, but on finding 

 himself pursued and overtaken, on coming to a rill of 

 water surrounded by high reeds he stopped at once on 

 the edge of it, and, in a threatening attitude for a charge, 

 stared wildly on us both. At that instant we gave him. 

 three more balls, when, blundering forwards, he fell head 

 long into the stream, which he completely bridged with 

 his body. Having delivered our horses to Phill, we went 



