is eyes glared with
a terrible earnestness. I rushed towards the body of the buffalo that
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 among the
limbs, and again charged without striking me. He turned, however, as
quick as thought, and again rushed bellowing upon me. There was a tree
near at hand. I had noticed it before, but I could not tell whether 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 any longer upon the
ground, I struck out for the tree.

"You may be sure I did my best at running. I heard the bull coming
after, but before he could overtake me, I had got to the root of the
tree. It was my intention, at first, only to take shelter behind the
trunk; but when I had got there, I noticed that there were some low
branches, and catching one of these I swung myself up among them.

[Illustration: BASIL AND THE BISON-BULL.]

"The bull passed under me with a rush--almost touching my feet as I hung
by the branch--but I was soon safely lodged in a fork, and out of his
reach.

"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 he
would give me an opportunity, for he kept round the tree, and at times
attacked the trunk, butting and goring it with his horns, and all the
while 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 the haste
I could to get in the load, expecting soon to put an end to his attacks.

"I succeeded at length in ramming down the bullet, and was just turning
the gun to put on a cap, when I recollected that the cap-box was still
lying on the ground where it had fallen! The sudden attack of the animal
had prevented me from taking it up. My caps were all within that box,
and my gun, loaded though it was, was as useless in my hands as a bar of
iron. To get at the caps would be quite impossible. I dared not descend
from the tree. The infuriated bull still kept pacing under it, now going
round and round, and occasionally stopping for a moment and looking
angrily up.

"My situation was anything but a pleasant one. I began to fear that I
might not be permitted to escape at all. The bull seemed to be most
pertinacious in vengeance. I could have shot him in the back, or the
neck, or