CHAP. i. BUFFALO. 25 



the loud crash I had before heard. Once the horns were 

 interlocked they kept them so, their straining quarters 

 telling that each was doing his best to force the other 

 backwards. Several long white marks on their necks 

 showed where they had received scratches, and blood 

 dripping down the withers of the one next me proved that 

 he had received a more severe wound. It was a magni- 

 ficent sight to see the enormous animals, every muscle at 

 its fullest tension, striving for the mastery. Soon one, a 

 very large and old bull, began to yield a little, going back- 

 wards step by step, but at last, as if determined to conquer 

 or die, it dropt on to its knees. The other, disengaging 

 his horns for a second, so as to gain an impetus, again 

 rushed at him, but, whether purposely or not I could not 

 tell, it did not strike him on the forehead, but on the neck, 

 under the hump, and I could see that with a twist of his 

 horns he inflicted a severe wound. However, instead of 

 following up his seeming advantage, he at once recoiled, 

 and stood half facing his antagonist, who, getting on his 

 legs again, remained in the same position for several 

 minutes, and then with a low grunt of rage, rushed at 

 him. This time he was not met, and his broad forehead 

 struck full on his rival's shoulder, almost knocking it 

 over. The old bull then went a few yards off and stood 

 watching the other for fully a quarter of an hour, when 

 he walked slowly away in the opposite direction. Unfor- 

 tunately, as it turned out, I did not fire at him, thinking 

 one would be enough for me to manage ; but the moment 

 it disappeared the other lay down on the spot where it 

 had been standing, and stealing up behind the shelter of 

 a neighbouring thorn, I fired at its shoulder ; it only made 



