RHINOCEROS AND BUFFALO. 
117 
blood, the foam dropping from its jaws, its eyes glan- 
cing fire, occasionally stopping, pawing the ground, and 
roaring with maddened fury. 
A small rhinoceros was next introduced, which 
stood at the extremity of the arena, eyeing its foe 
with an oblique but animated glance, though without 
the slightest appearance of excitement. The buffalo 
having described a circuit from the centre of the 
ground, plunged forward towards the rhinoceros, with 
its head to the earth, its eyes appearing as if about to 
start from their sockets. Its wary antagonist turned to 
avoid the shock of this furious charge, and just grazed 
the flank of the buffalo with its horn, ploughing up 
the skin, but doing no serious mischief. It now 
champed and snorted like a wild hog, and its eyes 
began to twinkle with evident expressions of anger. 
The buffalo repeated the charge, one of its horns 
coming in contact with its adversary’s shoulder ; 
which, however, was protected by so thick a mail 
that this produced no visible impression. The rhino- 
ceros, the moment it was struck, plunged its horn 
with wonderful activity and strength into the buf- 
falo’s side, crushing the ribs and penetrating to the 
vitals ; it then lifted the gored body from the ground 
and flung it to the distance of several feet, where the 
mangled animal almost immediately breathed its last. 
The victor remained stationary, eyeing his motion- 
less victim with a look of stern indifference, but 
the door of his den being opened he trotted into it, 
and began munching some cakes which had been 
thrown to him as a reward for his conduct in so 
unequal a contest. 
