1 94 SJ'OK TING A D YEN TURKS 



range alongside the old bulls. As it was each man for himself, 

 I chose a sturdy veteran that occupied the flank,, and when I 

 was within fifty paces of him I leant forward and fired at his 

 heart, but the ball must have struck his ribs, as he did not 

 slacken his pace. I then brought the mustang closer to him 

 and fired at the fore-shoulder, and in doing so I leaned to the 

 right ; but the explosion had scarcely taken place before my 

 steed wheeled suddenly, and it seemed to me on his hind-legs 

 alone, and as I had lost my balance by my attitude he went 

 clean from under me, and I came on the ground with a thud 

 that made me see as many stars as there are in the firmament 

 in a few seconds, and caused me to feel as if my head were 

 smashed. Instead of stopping to scratch it, however, and 

 indulge in vehement language, which seems to be the usual 

 and the proper thing to do under such circumstances, seeing 

 that almost everybody does it, I had too lively a sense of danger 

 to indulge in such delights, so I seized the lariat or trailing rope, 

 which was running out rapidly, and bolted after my steed in 

 a half-dazed manner, for I felt as if I had half a dozen pieces 

 of a head on me instead of a whole one. I did not go far, how- 

 ever, before I overtook him, and got into the saddle somehow. 



It was a most fortunate thing for me that the bull did not 

 charge, else I might have been gored to death. I learned 

 from that accident to keep my balance, and not to touch the 

 mustang with my feet, as his training had taught him to be 

 guided by them, and to wheel to whichever side he felt their 

 pressure. 



I did not lose much time in getting under headway once 

 more, and in five minutes I was beside the bull, which had 

 fallen back to the extreme rear of the column. I tried to force 

 my mustang close beside him, in order to get in a deadly shot, 

 but that wary animal did not seem inclined to do so, but kept 

 away at least thirty yards or more. I then tried running past 

 the bull, and managed to accomplish that easily enough, and 

 to deliver three shots in rapid succession at his shoulder. 

 "When I wheeled about I saw him stop, and noticed blood 

 oozing from his nose ; and when I got in front of him he 

 charged me viciously with his head lowered; but the mustang 



