AN ADVENTURE WITH A BUFFALO.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 256, 29 October 1877, Page 4

AN ADVENTURE WITH A BUFFALO.

[Chamber's Journal] The douse thick bush and tall reeds and grass which surround the jkeels or solitary jungle lakes, are a favorite resort of bufLlo. Thero they feed on the rich herbsjrt", aud approach the water by long tuuuels iu the grass ani ree.s. The extreme daug.r of encountering these creatures is described by Captuiu Bald wi_, who, one eveuing, accompauied by a native, went down to one of these jungle lakes, aod huarin» something move io the long grasss, bad the le__«rity to enter a tunnel. Up to his ancles in mud, and with scarcely room to move or turn, ho wus straining bis eyes Jo discover the game, when there was a sudden crash through the brushwood, and before he oould bring his rifle into position, " I was hurled," he sayc"tothe ground with astonishing quickness by a tremendous butt on the rigW flhouider, followed by a pair of

huge knees on my chest, crushing me down. The buffalo then commenced butting me with his huge head. I was covered with foam from his vile mouth; most luckily the ground waa. very soft, or I must have been killed. I had fallen on my back,but7 managed, by clutchiog the root of a small tree, to draw myself from under him; but as I did eo, aud turned over, he struck me a t.rrible blow on the back with his foot, brpaking two ribs; and then I was powerless, aod imagined all hope of escape to be over. He gave me a bad wound on the, left arm; another dangerous oue under the armpit, a third on the hip — all with his horns; and then I found myself lifted off the ground and thrown a tremendous somersault in the air." Stunned and bleeding, our unfortunate sportsman was pitched upon hia head, and landed behind a low thorn bush at the edge of the lake. More dead thao alive, he had yet sufficient presence of mind to remain perfectly still. A few yards off he could eee his shaggy foe, sniffing all over the scene of the late tragedy. Satisfied with hia victory, the buffalo then raised his head, listened intently for a few minutes, and to the inexpressible relief of hia victim, trotted off in another direction. Faint and dizzy, but feeling that he roust make an efTort to escape, Captain Baldwin rose, staggered about thirty paces, and then tell over iu a dead faint. When he revived a little, he found his Hindu servant who ha I been far too terrified even to try to help him in his hour of nee J, crying over hiro and trying to bind up his bleeding arm. In a moment he remembered ail that had happened and motioning to the man to be silent, he got him to help him to hia .est, und with his assistance, staggered fifty yards further, when exhausted nature gave way, and he fell to the ground, able only to murmur in a faint voice "Water; bring me water ! " The Hindu run down to the lake with hiß master's bat, which he filled with water, and having given him a little to drink, poured tbe resß of it over his head. He then cut his linen coat into strips, dipped them in water, and with them bound up the wounds as well as he could. " Now," said bis master, " put your ride at full oock on tbe ground beside me, aod run for assistance as fast bb you can." He obeyed, and the captain, in this almost helpless state, was left alone. Night was beginning to fall, and he oould bear from time to time some animal moving behind him through the undergrowth of tnattted creepers and reeds; but he was too much exhausted either for curiosity or fear, and at last, though sheer weakness, fell into a doze, from which ho was awakened by the glare of torches. A brother officer, after a long search, had found him; aod although it was many weeks before he could move band or foot, he got at last all right agaiD, and was as dashing a eportsman as before ; only he ever afterward took oare to give a buffalo bull as wide a berth as possible — in which prudent precaution he is imitated even by the tiger. This latter tyrant of the jungle, red with the slaughter of scores of buffalo cows, is careful to treat with profound respect the grizzled patriarchs of the herd.