THE OX. 101 



the full extent of her fate, and then stood as nailed to it, 

 save only her arms, which she threw aloft in her despair, 

 which would have been as fragile in her defence as a 

 rotten reed. Her tender body would have been nothing 

 against a force that could have broken bars of brass, 

 and horns that might have transfixed an animal of its 

 own size. As I have said, directly towards the unpro- 

 tected young lady, the bull drove forward ; with in- 

 tentest eyes he came on, he mistook his mark not an 

 inch ; for as the multitude behind him yelled their 

 horror, he dashed with prodigious strength and mad- 

 ness against her." Most providential was her deliver- 

 ance, for, Sir Walter adds : " The dear young woman 

 escaped unhurt and untouched. The terrific animal 

 struck at her so accurately, that a horn smote the dead 

 wall on either side, thus embracing, but from their great 

 length shielding, her person from even the slightest dan- 

 ger. But the staunch wall stood the tremendous thrust, 

 and sent back with rebounding force to a great distance, 

 the huge and terrible brute, throwing him prostrate 

 never to rise agaio, for numberless destructive weapons 

 were plunged into him ere he had time to recover from 

 the recoil." 



Sir Walter describes this madness to have been oc- 

 casioned by the wanton violence of its drivers and pur- 



