62 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
intense surprise, the apparently dead buffalo sud¬ 
denly sprang to its feet, and blundered forward 
straight at the astonished Dick, who was not 3 
feet distant. He attempted to jump backwards to 
avoid the horns, but the ground being full of ruts, 
he tripped, and fell upon his back, immediately in 
the path of the savage bull. Instinctively, as quick 
as lightning, my right hand had drawn my long 
hunting-knife and plunged it hilt-deep exactly 
behind the shoulder. To my amazement, the 
buffalo fell to the blow; and the kicking of all 
four legs, and the convulsive twitching of the tail, 
showed unmistakably that this time the mighty bull 
was beyond recovery. 
I had jumped back upon the instant, to clear 
myself from the animal ; Dick had only just 
recovered himself, and was staggering away, 
until I called him back. “ He’s dead enough 
this time,” I shouted, as I showed him the long 
knife streaming with blood, which had paralysed 
so suddenly an attack which must have been 
fatal. 
Our native attendants appeared stupefied ; the 
whole affair, from the moment we had surveyed the 
apparently dead buffalo to its actual death, had not 
occupied one minute. 
This was a very wonderful escape, and a most 
practical example of the teaching which I was 
giving when the resuscitation took place. The 
questions would naturally be asked—“What sort 
of a hunting-knife was this?” and “ What was the 
