526 THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 



a moment before ; but now, turning to meet the enemy, he felt 

 his nerves at once as firm as a rock, and his whole system braced 

 for the emergency. All depended on one shot ; for, if he missed, 

 the bull would not. He waited till the beast was within five 

 yards of him, and then fired at his head. He gave one loud, 

 hoarse bellow, and tumbled to the ground dead, his body almost 

 falling upon Du Chaillu. 



One evening, soon after this adventure; Du Chaillu went some 

 distance from his camp to a noted buffalo-walk, and seating him- 

 self behind an ant-hill waited for the approach of game. At 

 last he fell asleep ; how long he dozed he could not say, but he 

 was finally awakened by an unearthly roar or yell, as of some 

 wild animal in extreme agony. He started up, but could see 

 nothing. A dull, booming roar succeeded, and he inferred that 

 some fortunate leopard had found a buffalo. Determined to see 

 the fight if possible, ho made toward the sounds, and, emerging 

 from a piece of woods, saw scudding across the plain, and at but 

 little distance from him, a wild bull, on whose neck was crouched 

 a leopard. Vainly the poor beast reared, tossed, ran, stopped, 

 roared and yelled. In its blind terror it at last even rushed 

 against a tree, and nearly tumbled over with 'he recoil. Rut 

 once more anguish lent it strength, and it rot out on anoth ,r 

 race. Du Chaillu took as good aim at the leopard's figure as he 

 could and fired, but with no effect that he could discover. The 

 exciting spectacle lasted but a minute ; then the bull was lost to 

 sight, and presently his roars ceased. The leopard had sucked 

 away his life, and was now feasting on his prey. 



VISIT TO KING BANGO. 



BEING in King Bango's country, Du Chaillu determined to pay 

 his majesty a visit. The king's palace was situated on the top 

 of a high hill, and surrounded by the huts of his wives, of whom 

 he had three hundred. Wherever King Bango went he was 

 accompanied by his ministers of state, and ;: bevy of his wives 

 bearing his pipes and his pots of rum ; and none were allowed 

 to address him without first falling on their faces to the ground 

 and imploring the royal favor. The king's T er.ul costume vas a 



