72 "WILD CATTLE. 



fastened to an animal, and having enough to do to 

 hold their own, could give no assistance to their master. 

 Meanwhile, I w^as not unemployed. A bull, followed 

 by a plump calf of three or four months, came towards 

 the tree behind which I was concealed. Allowing the 

 bull to go by, I stopped the ' young un ' with a ball 

 through the heart and, loading as I ran, hastened to 

 Lonus' assistance. 



I was just in time to save the horse, the rider having 

 rolled himself out of the way; for if I had not then 

 arrived, the cow, which had first gained its legs, and 

 had made many frantic but vain efforts to break 

 away, turned its rage upon the horse, which, unable to 

 regain its feet, would in another instant have been 

 gored by the wild cow, had I not in the nick of time 

 sent a ball through its brain. Lonus got off with 

 several bruises and a dislocated collar-bone ; but we 

 soon put that back again in its place, after despatching 

 his men for a was^on to brines home the meat. So 

 ended our morning's hunt. Had it not been for the 

 accident, I should most likely have bagged another ; 

 but, at all events, we got one animal for each hunter. 



It is rough work and, perhaps, does not tell well ; 

 but those who have tried it love the excitement with 

 all its drawbacks. 



The coast of Florida is studded with creeks and 

 inlets, with, here and there, islands standing in the 

 mouths of rivers. Some of these islands are of largre 



