416 The Hunting u rounds 



him bite the dust ; but he soon regained his legs, and 

 with a loud bellow and roar of rage made direct for 

 the opposite height. I immediately gave chase, and, 

 after a sharp burst, got up along side my quarry, from 

 whose side a stream of blood was spurting as he ran. 

 Drawing my revolver from my holster, I aimed 

 behind the ear ; but my horse, being fidgety and not 

 accustomed to such kind of work, shied round at 

 the moment, and the shot did not take effect. In 

 the twinkling of an eye, before I could re-cock the 

 pistol, or get my horse out of his way, the bull 

 charged, rolling us both over from the violence of the 

 shock, and falling himself on his knees with the ex- 

 ertion. Luckily, although my horse was slightly 

 gored in the shoulder, I was not in the least hurt 

 with the purl ; and before my antagonist could repeat 

 his little game I sprang to my feet, and plunging my 

 long hunting-knife into his chest, he staggered for- 

 ward a few paces, and dropped on his side dead. In 

 the meantime my followers gave chase to the rest of 

 the herd, and a young cow, in first-rate condition for 

 the table, fell after a desperate charge, in which she 

 unhorsed one or two of their number, although with- 

 out doing an^ serious damage. These cattle, which 

 much resemble in appearance the largest of our Scotch 

 oxen, generally go in herds of eight or ten, and the 

 people of the country say that they are the most 

 formidable animals in the forest, neither the bear nor 



