i82 THE OX FAMILY 



head. His hind legs were much of the time in the air. 

 He evidently was displeased at his surroundings and 

 determined to get rid of both rider and saddle. 



The saddle continued to slip, and finally turned. 

 Casting my rifle in one direction, I went headlong 

 into the grass in the other. Although I received a 

 severe jolt, 1 was not hurt, and picking up the rifle, 

 I opened fire on the buffaloes, which were passing at 

 close range. My first few shots were wild. I saw 

 the balls send up the dust as they struck the rising 

 ground far beyond the game. Aiming more care- 

 fully and lower, I at length saw one of the animals 

 fall. Another shot tipped the back of a huge bull not 

 over forty yards away and brought the dust from his 

 hide. With remarkable celerity he wheeled about and 

 locked horns with another bull behind him, thinking, 

 no doubt, that the latter had punched him with his 

 horn. A furious fight ensued while other bulls and 

 cows and calves went galloping past. I still had half a 

 beltful of ammunition, and being somewhat cooler after 

 killing the first animal, I fired two well-directed shots 

 in quick succession, and the two fighting bulls fell dead 

 with their heads together. A few more shots brought 

 down another bison and wounded several more which 

 went limping away, and when the last animals had 

 passed I turned to see what was going on in other 

 parts of the field. My friend, the doctor, had dis- 

 mounted and was firing rapidly, but without much 

 effect, at the tail-end of the procession as it passed him 

 some distance away. 



The lieutenant had arrived on the scene some time 

 before, had passed me, ascertained that I was uninjured, 



