n8 



THE TWO-TOED ARTIODACTYLA. 



tricts it takes the place of ordinary cattle. 

 The marshes of Italy are peopled by these 

 animals in a half- wild condition, and the 

 buffaloes are there employed on account of 

 their great strength for field labours, while 

 their very rich milk, their hides, and horns 

 are also utilized. The flesh, on the other 

 hand, is by no means good. In India they 

 are even ridden like horses, and no one 

 mounted on a buffalo needs to fear tigers. 

 The hotter the country in which these animals 

 live the more docile and tractable are they 

 found to be. In Egypt, for example, they 

 are as gentle as sheep; in Italy, on the 

 contrary, very wild. 



[The following adventure will show, however, that 

 even in Ceylon the disposition of the animal is not 

 always so mild that its pursuit is unattended with 

 danger. The narrator had pursued a Ceylon buffalo 

 to the edge of a small lake, and seeing it take to 

 the water ran round to meet it on the other side, 

 wading in a certain distance towards it. Fifteen 

 paces off the animal stood sullenly eyeing him, and 

 the narrator then goes on to say: — " I took a quick 

 but steady aim at his chest, at the point of con- 

 nection with the throat. The smoke of the barrel 

 passed to one side — there he stood — he had not 

 flinched; he literally had not moved a muscle. 

 The only change that had taken place was in 

 his eye; this, which had hitherto been merely 

 sullen, was now beaming with fury; but his form 

 was as motionless as a statue. A stream of blood 

 poured from a wound within an inch of the spot at 

 which I had aimed ; had it not been for this fact I 

 should not have believed him struck. 



"Annoyed at the failure of the shot, I tried him 

 with the left-hand barrel at the same hole. The 

 report of the gun echoed over the lake, but there 

 he stood as though he bore a charmed life ; an 

 increased flow of blood from the wound and 

 additional lustre in his eye were the only signs of 

 his being struck. 



" I was unloaded, and had not a single ball re- 

 maining. It was now his turn. I dared not turn 

 to retreat, as I knew he would immediately charge, 

 and we stared each other out of countenance. 

 With a short grunt he suddenly sprang forward, 

 but fortunately, as I did not move, he halted ; he 

 had, however, decreased his distance, and we now 



gazed at each other within ten paces. I began to 

 think buffalo shooting somewhat dangerous, and I 

 would have given something to have been a mile 

 away, but ten times as much to have had my four- 

 ounce rifle in my hand. Oh, how I longed for that 

 rifle in this moment of suspense! Unloaded, with- 

 out the power of defence, with the absolute certainty 

 of a charge from an overpowering brute, my hand 

 instinctively found the handle of my hunting-knife, 

 a useless weapon against such a foe. 



" Knowing that B. was not aware of my situation 

 at the distance which separated us (about a mile), 

 without taking my eyes from the figure before me 

 I raised my hand to my mouth and gave a long 

 and loud whistle; this was a signal that I knew 

 would be soon answered if heard. 



"With a stealthy step and another short grunt 

 the bull again advanced a couple of paces towards 

 me. He seemed aware of my helplessness, and he 

 was the picture of rage and fury, pawing the water 

 and stamping violently with his fore-feet. 



"This was very pleasant! I gave myself up for 

 lost, but putting as fierce an expression into my 

 features as I could possibly assume, I stared hope- 

 lessly at my maddened antagonist. 



" Suddenly a bright thought flashed through my 

 mind. Without taking my eyes off the animal 

 before me, I put a double charge of powder down 

 the right-hand barrel, and tearing off a piece of 

 my shirt, I took all the money from my pouch, 

 three shillings in sixpenny pieces, which I luckily 

 had with me in this small coin for paying coolies. 

 Quickly making them into a rouleau with the piece 

 of rag I rammed them down the barrel, and they 

 were hardly well home before the bull again sprang 

 forward. So quick was it that I had no time to 

 replace the ramrod, and I threw it into the water, 

 bringing my gun on full cock in the same instant. 

 However, he again halted, being now within about 

 seven paces from me, and we again gazed fixedly 

 at each other, but with altered feelings on my part. 



"At this time I heard a splashing in the water 

 behind me accompanied by the hard breathing of 

 something evidently distressed. The next moment 

 I heard B.'s voice. I dared not turn my face from 

 the buffalo, but I cautioned B. to reserve his fire 

 till the bull should be close into me, and then to 

 aim at the head. 



" The words were hardly uttered when, with the 

 concentrated rage of the last twenty minutes, he 

 rushed straight at me! It was the work of an 

 instant. B. fired without effect. The horns were 



