Brush 'with a BtdL 47 



knees, but recovering himself in an instant he retreated 

 on three legs to the water. 



We now received assistance from an unexpected 

 quarter. One of the large bulls, his companions, 

 charged after him with great fury, and soon overtaking 

 the wounded beast, he struck him full in the side, throw- 

 ing him over with a great shock on the muddy border 

 of the lake. Here the wounded animal lay unable to 

 rise, and his conqueror commenced a slow retreat across 

 the plain. 



Leaving B. to extinguish the wounded buffalo, I gave 

 chase to the retreating bull. At an easy canter he 

 would gain a hundred paces, and then turning, he 

 would face me ; throwing his nose up, and turning his 

 head to one side with a short grunt, he would advance 

 quickly for a few paces, and then again retreat as I 

 continued to approach. 



In this manner he led me a chase of about a mile 

 along, the banks of the lake, but he appeared deter- 

 mined not to bring the fight to an issue at close quarters. 

 Cursing his cowardice, I fired a long shot at him, and 

 reloading with my last spare ball, I continued the chase, 

 led on by ignorance and excitement. 



The lake in one part stretched in a narrow creek into 

 the plain, and the bull now directed his course into the 

 angle formed by this turn. I thought that I had him in 

 a corner, and, redoubling my exertions, I gained upon 

 him considerably. He retreated slowly to the very 

 edge of the creek, and I had gained so fast upon him 

 that I was not thirty paces distant when he plunged into 

 the water and commenced swimming across the creek. 

 This was not more than sixty yards in breadth, and I 

 knew that I could now bring him to action. 



