CHAPTER TEN.
BASIL AND THE BISON-BULL.
"As soon as I saw the buffaloes," continued Basil, "my first thought wasto get near, and have a shot at them. They were worth a charge ofpowder and lead, and I reflected that if I could kill but one of them,it would ensure us against hunger for a couple of weeks to come. So Ihung my game-bag to the branch of a tree, and set about approachingthem. I saw that the wind was in my favour, and there was no danger oftheir scenting me. But there was no cover near them--the ground was aslevel as a table, and there was not a score of trees upon as many acres.It was no use crawling up, and I did not attempt it, but walkedstraight forward, treading lightly as I went. In five minutes, I foundmyself within good shooting range. Neither of the bulls had noticed me.They were too busy with one another, and in all my life I never saw twocreatures fighting in such earnest. They were foaming at the mouth, andthe steam poured out of their nostrils incessantly. At times, theywould back from each other like a pair of rams, and then rush togetherhead-foremost, until their skulls cracked with the terrible collision.One would have fancied that they would break them at every freshencounter, but I knew the thickness of a buffalo's skull before thattime. I remember having fired a musket at one that stood fronting menot more than six feet distant, when, to my surprise, the bulletflattened and fell to the ground before the nose of the buffalo! Thecreature was not less astonished than myself, as up to that time it hadnot seen me.
"Well," continued Basil after a pause, "I did not stop long to watch thebattle of the bison-bulls. I was not curious about that. I had seensuch many a time. I was thinking about the meat; and I paused just longenough to select the one that appeared to have the most fat upon hisflanks, when I drew up my rifle and fired. I aimed for the heart, andmy aim was a true one, for the animal came to its knees along with thecrack. Just at that moment the other was charging upon it, and, to mysurprise, it continued to run on, until striking the wounded one fullbutt upon the forehead, it knocked the latter right over upon its side;where, after giving half-a-dozen kicks, it lay quite dead.
"The remaining bull had dashed some paces beyond the spot, and nowturned round again to renew his attack. On seeing his antagoniststretched out and motionless, he seemed to be as much astonished as Iwas. At first, no doubt, he fancied himself the author of a grand_coup_, for it was plain that up to this time he had neither noticed mypresence, nor the report of the rifle. The bellowing noise that bothwere making had drowned the latter; and the dust, together with the longshaggy tufts that hung over his eyes, had prevented him from seeinganything more than his rival, with whom he was engaged. Now that theother was no longer able to stand before him, and thinking it washimself that had done the deed, he tossed up his head and snorted intriumph. At this moment, the matted hair was thrown back from his eyes,and the dust having somewhat settled away, he sighted me, where I stoodreloading my gun. I fancied he would take off before I could finish,and I made all the haste in my power--so much so that I dropped the boxof caps at my feet. I had taken one out, however, and hurriedlyadjusted it, thinking to myself, as I did so, that the box might liewhere it was until I had finished the job. I brought the piece to myshoulder, when, to my surprise, the bull, instead of running away, as Ihad expected, set his head, and uttering one of his terrible bellows,came rushing towards me. I fired, but the shot was a random one, andthough it hit him in the snout, it did not in the least disable him.Instead of keeping him off, it only seemed to irritate him the more, andhis fury was now at its height.
"I had no time to load again. He was within a few feet of me when Ifired, and it was with difficulty that, by leaping to one side, Iavoided his horns; but I did so, and he passed me with such violencethat I felt the ground shake under his heavy tread.
"He wheeled immediately, and made at me a second time. I knew that ifhe once touched me I was gone. His horns were set, and his eyes glaredwith a terrible earnestness. I rushed towards the body of the buffalothat lay near, hoping that this might assist me in avoiding the onset.It did so, for, as he dashed forward over it, he became entangled amongthe limbs, and again charged without striking me. He turned, however,as quick as thought, and again rushed bellowing upon me. There was atree near at hand. I had noticed it before, but I could not tellwhether I should have time to reach it. I was now somewhat nearer it,and, fearing that I might not be able to dodge the furious brute anylonger upon the ground, I struck out for the tree. You may be sure Idid my best at running. I heard the bull coming after, but before hecould overtake me, I had got to the root of the tree. It was myintention, at first, only to take shelter behind the trunk; but when Ihad got there, I noticed that there were some low branches, and catchingone of these I swung myself up among them.
"The bull passed under me with a rush--almost touching my feet as I hungby the branch--but I was soon safely lodged in a fork, and out of hisreach.
"My next thought was to load my gun, and fire at him from my perch, and,with this intention, I commenced loading. I had no fear but that hewould give me an opportunity, for he kept round the tree, and at timesattacked the trunk, butting and goring it with his horns, and all thewhile bellowing furiously. The tree was a small one, and it shook so,that I began to fear it might break down. I therefore made all thehaste I could to get in the load, expecting soon to put an end to hisattacks. I succeeded at length in ramming down the bullet, and was justturning the gun to put on a cap, when I recollected that the cap-box wasstill lying on the ground where it had fallen! The sudden attack of theanimal had prevented me from taking it up. My caps were all within thatbox, and my gun, loaded though it was, was as useless in my hands as abar of iron. To get at the caps would be quite impossible. I dared notdescend from the tree. The infuriated bull still kept pacing under it,now going round and round, and occasionally stopping for a moment andlooking angrily up.
"My situation was anything but a pleasant one. I began to fear that Imight not be permitted to escape at all. The bull seemed to be mostpertinacious in his vengeance. I could have shot him in the back, orthe neck, or where I liked, if I had only had one cap. He was withinthree feet of the muzzle of my rifle; but what of that when I could notget the gun to go off? After a while I thought of making some tinderpaper, and then trying to `touch off' the piece with it, but a farbetter plan at that moment came into my head. While I was fumblingabout my bullet-pouch to get at my flint and steel, of course my fingerscame into contact with the lasso which was still hanging around myshoulders. It was this that suggested my plan, which was no other thanto _lasso the bull, and tie him to the tree_!
"I lost no time in carrying it into execution. I uncoiled the rope, andfirst made one end fast to the trunk. The other was the loop-end, andreeving it through the ring, I held it in my right hand while I leanedover and watched my opportunity. It was not long before a good oneoffered. The bull still continued his angry demonstrations below, andpassed round and round. It was no new thing for me to fling a lasso,and at the first pitch I had the satisfaction of seeing the noose passover the bison's head, and settle in a proper position behind his horns.I then gave it a twitch, so as to tighten it, and after that I ran therope over a branch, and thus getting `a purchase' upon it, I pulled itwith all my might.
"As soon as the bull felt the strange cravat around his neck, he beganto plunge and `rout' with violence, and at length ran furiously out fromthe tree. But he soon came to the end of his tether; and the quickjerk, which caused the tree itself to crack, brought him to hishaunches, while the noose tightening on his throat was fast stranglinghim. But for the thick matted hair it would have done so, but thissaved him, and he continued to sprawl and struggle at the end of therope. The tree kept on cracking, and as I began to fear that it mightgive way and precipitate me to the ground, I thought it better to slipdown. I ran direct to where I had dropped the caps; and, having gothold of the box, I soon had one upon my gun. I then stole cautiouslyback, and while the bison was hanging himself as fast as he cou
ld, Ibrought his struggles to a period by sending a bullet through his ribs.
"As it was quite night when I had finished the business, of course Icould not stay to butcher the bulls. I knew that you would be wonderingwhat kept me, so I cut out the tongues, and coming by the place where Ihad left the grouse, brought them along. I left a `scare-wolf' overboth the bulls, however, and I guess we'll find them all right in themorning."
Basil having finished the narration of his day's adventures, fresh fuelwas heaped on the embers, and a huge fire was built--one that would lastuntil morning. This was necessary, as none of them had now eitherblankets or bedding. Basil himself and Norman were even in theirshirt-sleeves, and of course their only chance for keeping warmth intheir bodies would be to keep up a roaring fire all the night. Thisthey did, and all four laying themselves close together, slept soundlyenough.