ost
tailless; or, rather, his fail is so small as to be quite inconspicuous
amidst the long masses of hair that adorn his croup; whereas the strange
creature before them was remarkable for the large development of this
appendage, which swept downward, full and wide, like the tail of a
horse. The colour of the bull's body appeared black in the distance,
though, in reality, it was not black, but of a dark, chocolate brown;
the tail, on the contrary, was snow-white, which, from this contrast in
colour, added to the singularity of the animal's appearance.

There was but one large bull in the herd; evidently the lord and master
of all the others. These consisted of the females or cows, and the
young. The cows were much smaller, scarce half the size of the old
bull; their horns less massive, and the tails and long hair less full
and flowing.

Of the young, there were some of different ages; from the half-grown
bull or heifer, to the calves lately dropped; which last were tearing
about over the ground, and gambolling by the feet of their mothers.
About these little creatures there was a peculiarity. The long hair
upon their flanks and sides had not yet made its appearance; but their
whole coat was black and curly, just like that of a water-spaniel, or
Newfoundland dog. In the distance, they bore a striking resemblance to
these animals; and one might have fancied the herd to be a flock of
buffaloes, with a number of black dogs running about in their midst.

"Whatever they be," remarked Caspar, "they look like they might be
eatable. I think they're beef of some kind."

"Beef, venison, or mutton--one of the three," rejoined Karl.

Ossaroo was not particular at that moment. He could have picked a rib
of wolf-meat, and thought it palatable.

"Well, we must stalk them," continued Karl. "I see no other way of
getting near them but by crawling through yonder copse."

The speaker pointed to a grove, near which the animals were browsing.

Caspar and Ossaroo agreed with this suggestion, and all three, having
now reached the bottom of the descent, commenced their stalk.

Without any difficulty, they succeeded in reaching the copse; and then,
creeping silently through the underwood, they came to that edge of it
which was closest to the browsing herd. The bushes were evergreens--
rhododendrons--and formed excellent cover for a stalk; and, as yet, the
game had neither seen, nor heard, nor smelt the approaching enemy. They