Fury of a Bull Buffalo. 113 



make an attack. However, I managed to pass him at 

 length, being determined to pay him off on my return, 

 if he were still in the same spot. 



On arriving near the position of the elephant, I saw 

 at once that it was impossible to get him : he was 

 standing in a deep morass of great extent, backed by 

 thick jungles, and I could not approach nearer than a 

 hundred and fifty paces. After trying several ruses to 

 induce him to quit his mud-bath and come on, I found 

 it was of no use ; he was not disposed to be a fighter, 

 as he saw my strong position upon some open rising 

 ground among some large trees. I therefore took a 

 rest upon the branch of a tree, and gave him a shot 

 from the four-ounce rifle through the shoulder. This 

 sent him to the thick jungle with ears and trunk droop- 

 ing, but produced no other effect. I therefore returned 

 toward the tent, fully expecting to meet my old enemy, 

 the bull, whom I had left master of the field. In this 

 I was not disappointed ; he was standing within a 

 few yards of the same spot, and, upon seeing me, he 

 immediately advanced, having a very poor opinion 

 of an enemy who had retreated from him an hour 

 previous. 



Instead of charging at a rapid pace, he trotted slowly 

 up, and I gave him the four-ounce when within fifty 

 yards. This knocked him over ; but, to my astonish- 

 ment, he recovered himself instantly and galloped 

 toward me. Again he stopped within twenty yards of 

 me, and it was fortunate for me that he did ; for a 

 servant who was carrying my long two-ounce rifle had, 

 in his excitement, cocked it and actually set the hair- 

 trigger. This he managed to touch as he handed it to 

 me, and it exploded close to my head. I had only a 

 10* H 



