arrels of his rifle, one after the other, as quickly as
possible. The bull stumbled forward upon its knees. In order to make
assurance doubly sure, I aimed at its head and fired both barrels at
once. Instantly the bull rose, with a hideous bellow, and stood for one
moment irresolute, glaring at its new enemies. The leopard, I observed,
was no longer on its back. At this moment I heard an exclamation of
anger, and looking round I observed Peterkin struggling violently in the
grasp of one of the wild vines or thorny plants which abound in some
parts of the African forests and render them almost impassable. It
seems that as the bull drew near, Peterkin, who, like Jack and me, was
preparing to shoot, found that a dense thicket came between him and the
game, so as to prevent his firing. He leaped nimbly over a bush,
intending to run to another spot, whence he could more conveniently take
aim, but found himself, as I have related, suddenly entangled among the
thorns in such a way that the more he struggled the more firmly he
became ensnared. Being of an impatient disposition, he did struggle
violently, and it was this, probably, that attracted the attention of
the bull and decided its future course and its ultimate fate; for after
remaining one moment, as I have stated, in an irresolute attitude, it
turned suddenly to the left and rushed, with its head down and its tail
up, straight at Peterkin.

I cannot describe the sensations that overwhelmed me on observing the
imminent danger of my friend. Horror almost overwhelmed me as I gazed
with a stare of fascination at the frightful brute, which with flashing
eyes and bloody foam dripping from its mouth charged into the thicket,
and crashed through the tough boughs and bushes as if they were grass.
A film came over my eyes. I tried to reload my rifle, but my trembling
hand refused to act, and I groaned with mingled shame and despair on
finding myself thus incapable of action in the hour of extreme peril.
At that moment I felt I would joyfully have given my own life to have
saved that of Peterkin. It takes me long to describe it, but the whole
scene passed with the rapidity almost of a flash of light.

Jack did not even attempt to load, but uttering a fearful cry, he sprang
towards our friend with a bound like that of an enraged tiger. A gleam
of hope flashed through my soul as I beheld his gigantic form dash
through the underwood. It seemed to me as if no living creat