Chap. XIV. WILD CATTLE HUNTING. 403 
exit from the lower end of the wood, where a favourite 
track crossed a tributary valley, which had been once 
cleared. One of the two kine that bolted that way had 
gone up the opposite hill before I got out of the wood ; 
but the second, a fine two-year-old heifer, stood for a 
moment so that I could aim at her neck between the 
dividing branches of a large tree. The ball passed 
nearly through her neck, sticking just inside the skin 
on the other side, and she staggered and fell, bellow- 
ing, on her knees. Lewis, who had followed in her 
track, now came up with her, and advanced with a 
Bowie knife to give her the deathblow ; but she 
mustered strength for a last effort, rose, and rushed 
furiously upon him. Having only slugs in his gun, 
he reserved the charge till she was quite close, and 
then fired full in her forehead. He was just in time, 
for she fell dead with her nose upon his feet. 
The natives who had followed the third returned in 
about an hour, having tracked it by the drops of blood 
as far as the dividing ridge, and then given up the 
chase. We now skinned and quartered our game, and 
carried it in triumph to the boat. 
The meat was excellent, and lasted us for a long 
while. Every one was surprised to find this wild 
beef so tender, so fat, and so delicate in flavour. 
On the 19th, having made another attempt to pro- 
ceed to the northward, we were again baffled by a 
calm ; and drifted back with the ebb to our anchorage. 
The Company's barque Brougham had anchored in the 
afternoon, and we went on board to hear the news. 
Mr. Murphy was on board, attended by Lieutenant 
Best and the soldiers ; Colonel Wakefield having at 
once placed the ship at his disposal for an expedition 
about the Straits. 
Crossing over to Port Underwood, he had first made 
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