66 



THE WORLD S WONDERS. 



after them, and he succeeded in killing four or five and wounding 

 several, among the latter a large bull, full of fight and sullen- 

 ness ; this one, struck in the flank, charged down upon him and 

 his boy, who carried the rifles ; the boy, nimble as a monkey, 

 swung himself from a friendly bough just as the bull swept under 

 him like a cyclone, and made directly for Speke, who had but a 

 single gun left. Happily this was enough, for the bullet was so 

 well directed that it broke the infuriated beast's neck. Speke 

 had barely escaped from one bull before another, that bad also 

 been wounded, charged at him, giving only sufficient time for 



A LUCKY SHOT. 



him to pick up another gun that had been dropped by the nimble 

 boy. As the bull came rapidly on, Speke jumped behind a small 

 knoll and tired, but the shot did not take effect ; most fortu- 

 nately, however, the smoke from the discharge hung so heavy 

 about the bull's head that he could not see his assailant, and 

 after fighting it awhile he bolted off into the woods, to the 

 intense delight of the now defenseless hunter. 



At the end of five days seventy porters were secured, to whom 

 were given sixteen pieces of cloth each, in advance, for their 

 services as carriers. Two of the deserters were also captured, 

 and having received fifty lashes each for their offense, were again 



