do for them just what the wolves wished to
do--kill and eat them. With this intent we all put spur to our horses,
and galloped right forward to the spot.

Not one of the animals--neither wolves nor buffaloes--took any notice of
us until we were within a few yards of them. The wolves then scampered
off, but already the cracking rifles and shot-guns were heard above the
shouts of the charging cavalcade, and both the cow and calf were seen
sinking to the earth. Not so the huge bull. With glaring eyeballs he
glanced around upon his new assailants, and then, as if aware that
farther strife was useless, he stretched forth his neck, and breaking
through the line of horsemen, went off in full flight.

A fresh touch of the spur, with a wrench of the bridle-rein, brought our
horses round, and set their heads after him, and then followed as fine a
piece of chasing as I remember to have taken part in. The whole eight
of us swept over the plain in pursuit, but as we had all emptied our
pieces on first charging up, there was not one ready to deliver a shot
even should we overtake the game. In the quick gallop no one thought of
re-loading. Our pistols, however, were still charged, and these were
grasped and held in readiness.

It was one of the most exciting chases. There before us galloped the
great game, under full view, with neither brake nor bush to interrupt
the pleasure of our wild race. The bull proved to be one of the fastest
of his kind--for there is a considerable difference in this respect. He
led us nearly half-a-mile across the ridges before even the best of our
horses could come up, and then just as we were closing in upon him,
before a shot had been fired, he was seen to give a sudden lounge
forward and tumble over upon the ground.

Some of us fancied he had only missed his footing and stumbled; but no
motion could be perceived as we rode forward, and on coming up he was
found to be quite dead! A rifle-bullet had done the work--one that had
been fired in the first volley; and his strong fast run was only the
last spasmodic effort of his life.

One or two remained by the dead bull to get his hide and the "tit-bits"
of his meat, while the rest rode back to recover the more precious cow
and calf. What was our chagrin to find that the rascally wolves had
been before us! Of the tender calf, not a morsel remained beyond a few
tufts of hairy skin, and the cow was so badly torn and mutilated that
she was not w