20 
THE BUFFALO. 
ped on his knees bellowing with pain. Sup- 
posing him to be mortally wounded, the fore- 
most of the hunters issued from his covert, 
beginning to reload his musket as he ad- 
vanced, in order to. give him a finishing shot. 
No sooner, however, did the infuriated animal 
see his foe in front of him, than he sprang up 
and rushed headlong upon him. The man, 
throwing down his empty gun, fled towards 
the quagmire : but the savage beast was so 
close upon him that he despaired of escaping 
in that direction, and turning suddenly round 
a clump of copsewood, began to climb an old 
mimosa-tree beside it. The raging beast was 
too quick for him. Bounding forward with a 
frightful roar, he caught the unfortunate man 
with his horns, when he had nearly escaped 
beyond his reach, and tossed him in the air 
with such force that he fell dreadfully man- 
gled into a lofty cleft in the tree. The buffalo 
then ran once or twice round the tree, appa- 
