THE OX. 103 



and was of course chastised whenever the cattle went 

 astray. This led him to keep a long switch, and to 

 avenge himself with an unsparing hand if any of them 

 crossed the boundary. The bull, too, seemed to have 

 observed with concern this consequence of wandering, 

 and setting them a good example by never straying, 

 he placed himself before the cows in a threatening 

 attitude whenever they approached the bounds, and as 

 he had no horns, he used to strike them with his large 

 forehead, and thus punish them severely if any of them 

 transgressed. At length, his watchfulness and honesty 

 were so apparent, that the boy was employed in other 

 business, without fear that the cattle would misbehave in 

 his absence. 



Of the sympathy displayed by cattle towards others 

 of their kind in distress, the following is an interesting 

 proof, from Captain Cochrane's Travels in Columbia : 

 " I was suddenly aroused by a most terrific noise, a 

 mixture of loud roarings and of deep moans, which had 

 the most appalling effect at so late an hour. I immedi- 

 ately went out attended by the Indians, when I found 

 close to the rancha a large herd of bullocks collected 

 from the surrounding country ; they had encompassed 

 the spot where a bullock had been killed in the morn- 

 ing, and they appeared to be in the greatest state of 



