A BUFFALO BATTLE.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume VI, Issue 136, 9 March 1854, Page 4

A BUFFALO BATTLE.

About three months previous to my arrival at Fort Union, and in the height of the buffalo season, when their bulls are sometimes very fierce, Joe was taking the Fort Union bull, with a cart, into a point on tho liver above tlio lort, in order to draw home a load of wood, which had been previously cut and piled ready for trims* portal ion" tho day before, when a very largo old bison bull stood light ill the cart track; pawing up tlio earth, and roaring, rendy to dispute Ihe passage witli him- Oil a nearer approach, instead of living at the sight of tlio man that accompanied the cart, (ho bison made a. headlong charge.. Joe had hardly lime to remove his bull's head-stall, ami to escape lip a free, being utterly unable to assist his four-footed friend, whom he left to his own resources liison and bull, now in mortal combat, met midway with u shock that made the earth tremble. > Our previously ilocile, gentle animal suddenly became transformed into a furious beast, springing from side to side, whirling round as the bulfalo attempted to take him in the flank, alternately upsetting and righting the cart again, which he banged from side to side, mid whirled about as if it had been a baud-box. Joe, safe out of harm's way, looked down from tho tree at his champion's proceedings, at iirsl deploring the apparent disadvantage lie laboured under from being harnessed to a cart; but when the light hud lasted long and furiously, and it w as evident that both combatants had determined that one or other of them must fall, his eyi'S were opened to the value of the protection afforded by the harness, especially by the thick, strong shafts of tho cart, against tho short horns of the bison, who, although he boro hiin over and over again oil his haunches, could not wound him severely. On the other hand, tho loiijj, sharp horns of tho bravo Fort Union bull began to lull on the furrowed sides of his antagonist, until the final charge brought tlio bison, with furious bound, dead under our hero's feet, whose long, line drawn horn was deep driven into his adversary's heart. With a cheer that made tho woods ring again, down clambered Joe, and while triumphantly caressing, also carefully examined his chivalrous 'companion, who, although bruised, blown,and covered with foam, had escaped uninjured.