28 FISHES AND FISHING. 



but I never performed that saltatory feat so quickly 

 as I did on this occasion. "When once over, I knew 

 I was safe, and waved my bow at my enemy, and 

 struck him on the horns with it gently, so as not to 

 injure my bow; he, finding his attempt useless, 

 retreated a little way, and stood watching me, stamp 

 ing the ground. I, to revenge myself for the run he 

 had given me, and the fright he had occasioned, fitted 

 one of my sharpest arrows to my bow, and sent it 

 with all the strength I could command into his flank, 

 which made him run and bellow to my great satisfac 

 tion. I searched for, and found my arrow a day or 

 two after, when the bull was removed to another 

 pasture ; but I had bled him tolerably well, as was 

 evident by his hide. About a year after that, a strong 

 active young man, one of our workmen, determined 

 to cure this bull of attacking people, contrived to 

 dodge the animal round a tree, caught hold of his tail, 

 and beat him with a flat piece of oak paling which he 

 had prepared on purpose, till the bull fairly sunk 

 on the ground, partly with fright, and .partly with 

 exhaustion, the workmen looking out of the mill 

 windows, laughing and cheering their companion ; 

 after that, the animal was as civil and well-behaved a 

 bull as any person might wish to meet : but he was 

 very careful to avoid any proximity to man. Dis 

 couraged as I was in my favourite pursuit by my 



