eated solicitation, I managed to obtain what I so ardently
desired; the Indian only wished to know whether I was a good horseman,
if I possessed dexterity; and when he had satisfied himself on these
two points, we started one fine morning, accompanied by nine huntsmen
and a small pack of dogs. In this part of the Philippines the buffalo
is hunted on horseback, and taken with the lasso, the Indians not being
much accustomed to the use of guns. In other parts fire-arms are used,
as I shall have occasion to recount in another part of my narrative;
but, in whichever case, there is little difference in the danger,
for the one requires good riding and great skill, the other much
presence of mind and a good gun.

The wild buffalo is quite different from the domesticated animal;
it is a terrible creature, pursuing the hunter as soon as it gets
sight of him, and, should he transfix him with its terrible horns, he
would promptly expiate his rashness. My faithful Indian was much more
anxious about my safety than his own. He objected to my taking a gun;
he had little confidence in my skill with the lasso, and preferred
that I should merely sit on horseback, unarmed and unencumbered
in my movements; accordingly I set out, with a dagger for my sole
weapon. We divided our party by threes, and rode gently about the
plains, taking care to keep at a distance from the edge of the wood,
lest we should be surprised by the animal we were seeking.

After riding for about an hour, we at last heard the baying of
the dogs, and understood that the enemy was forced from its forest
retreat. We watched with the deepest attention the spot where we
expected him to break forth. He required a great deal of coaxing
before he would show; at last there was a sudden crashing noise
in the wood; branches were broken, young trees overthrown, and a
superb buffalo showed himself, at about one hundred and fifty paces'
distance. He was of a beautiful black, and his horns were of very large
dimensions. He carried his head high, and snuffed the air as though
scenting his enemies. Suddenly starting off at a speed incredible in
so bulky an animal, he made for one of our groups, composed of three
Indians, who immediately put their horses to a gallop, and distributed
themselves in the form of a triangle. The buffalo selected one of them,
and impetuously charged him. As he did so, another of the Indians,
whom he passed in his furious career, wheeled his horse and threw