TTbe t>cm. (Brantlep jf. Berfeeles 473 



to load my John Manton rifle, or I should have been 

 confessed to the savage and dying foe. Had I done so 

 the bull must have heard and seen me, and had he 

 charged me, we should have been dependant on three 

 shots at his said to be impenetrable head. Bayard, 

 lying flat on the ground, charged Pape's breech-loading 

 rifle in a moment, and without the necessity of drawing 

 the slightest attention from the wounded beast, and I 

 had still Prince's breech-loading carbine. As soon as he 

 had reloaded we again crawled towards our foe, when on 

 looking through the high grass, we saw him lying down, 

 and looming as wildly savage as those very savage- looking 

 animals can look his head and body obliquely away 

 from our position. It was no use to shoot at him thus 

 so we resolved to take to the short grass, risk being seen, 

 and open out his broadside, determining that if he 

 detected us, and rose to charge, our fire should be at his 

 heart while in the act of turning, and Bayard's last 

 barrel retained in the event of coming to close 

 quarters. We crawled till we had opened his side, and 

 he never either stirred or saw us ; so directing our balls 

 quite low as he lay, we fired together, when the monster 

 sprang to his feet, and stared full upon the spot where 

 we lay. There was then a most anxious but beautiful 

 pause, when, on seeing that the bull had not the least 

 idea of our close proximity, but that he began staring 

 over us, and towards the ground on the other side of the 

 ravine, I whispered to Bayard to back into the long 

 grass, or he might walk on till he trod on us, and that 

 when there we could reload. This we did, till we began 

 to find the descending ground, and then we turned and 



