158 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
deer, and the coward, die in their nest/’ In the pre- 
sent instance, however, the lion was fully vindicated 
from the obloquy of such vulgar wisdom, as will be 
presently seen. 
It stalked majestically forward, but, seeing the buf- 
falo, dropped upon its belly, swept the ground with 
its tail, and then uttering a short growl, made two or 
three leaps, and sprang upon its adversary’s neck with- 
out further preliminaries. The sudden shock brought 
the buffalo upon its knees ; but immediately recovering, 
the latter threw back its head with a violence that dis- 
lodged the lion, casting it with prodigious force against 
the strong wooden palings of the enclosure, at the 
same time striking one of its horns into the flank of its 
assailant and opening a hideous gash. The lion was 
for a moment stunned ; nevertheless, before its enemy 
had time to take advantage of its condition, it was 
on its legs, and had again sprung upon the buffalo’s 
neck, which it lacerated dreadfully. There was now 
a deadly struggle ; but the latter, repeating the same 
action which had before disengaged it from the gripe 
of its tawny foe, threw the lion again against the 
palings with still greater violence than before, and 
there gored it with an animation and goodwill that 
soon entirely disabled the noble beast from renewing 
the contest. 
The buffalo was by this time so exhausted that it 
fell by the side of its prostrate enemy. After some ex- 
ertion the keepers got it upon its legs and led it from 
the scene of combat. The lion was with difficulty 
dragged into its cage, but in a few days appeared little 
the worse for the punishment it had received from the 
