en, springing to his feet,
he made a desperate charge after Ruyter, uttering a low, stifled roar,
peculiar to buffaloes, (somewhat similar to the growl of a lion,) and
hurled horse and rider to the earth with fearful violence. His horn laid
the poor horse's haunch open to the bone, making the most fearful rugged
wound. In an instant, Ruyter regained his feet and ran for his life,
which the buffalo observing, gave chase, but most fortunately came down,
with a tremendous somersault, in the mud, his feet slipping from under
him; thus the bushman escaped certain destruction. The buffalo rose
much discomfitted, and, the wounded horse first catching his eye, he
went a second time after him; but he got out of the way. At this moment,
I managed to send one of my patent pacificating pills into his shoulder,
when he instantly quitted the field of action, and sought shelter in a
dense cover on the mountain side, whither I deemed it imprudent to
follow him.
A LEOPARD HUNT.
The dense jungles of Bengal was the place of the leopard's resort, and
the havoc which it committed among the cattle was prodigious. It was
dreaded, far and near, on this account, by the natives, and they
scrupulously avoided their spotted enemy, knowing well that when his
appetite was whetted with hunger, he was not over scrupulous whether his
victims were beasts or men. On one occasion, the monster made a dash
upon a herd of beeves, and succeeded in carrying off a large ox; and
loud was the lament of the poor Hindoos that one of the sacred herd had
thus unceremoniously been assailed and slaughtered before their eyes. A
party of the Bengal native infantry, consisting of an officer and five
others, having been informed of the circumstance, followed in the
direction of the leopard's den determined, if possible, to punish him
for this and the many other depredations he had committed. Having come
to an intervening ravine, they were about to cross it, when they saw the
object of their search on the opposite side. There he was, lying in his
lair, heedless of danger, and luxuriously feasting on the carcass of his
captive. It was the monster's last meal, however. The party approached
with stealthy steps, as near as they could without crossing the defile.
"Take your aim! fire!" cried the captain, in Hindostanee, we suppose.
They did so, and four balls pierced the leopard, three in the neck and
one in a more dangerous place, through the brain. Startled by this
unp
|