A NARROW ESCAPE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 577, 26 March 1870, Page 3

A NARROW ESCAPE.

BY AN AUSTRALIAN

One morning, when I went to look for my horse, he was nowhere to be found. I put the saddle on my head, and tracked him for some miles; it was evident the beast had been travelling away in search of grass. At length, when about to give up in despair, having quite lost the track on stony ground, I came upon the marks quite fresh, in a bit of swampy ground; and a few hundred yards further found him rolling in the mud of a nearly dry water-hole, as comfortable as possible. I put down the saddle and called him. At that moment I heard a- loud roar and crash behind me, and out rushed, at a terrific pace, a black bull, charging straight at me. I had only just time to throw myself on one side fiat on the ground as he thundered by me. My next move was to scramble among a clump of trees. The bull having missed his mark, turned again, and first revenged himself by tossing my saddle up in the air, until, fortunately, it lodged in some bushes ; then, having smelt me out, he commenced a circuit round the trees, stamping, pawing, and bellowing frightfully. With his red eyes and long, sharp horns, he looked like a demon. I was quite unarmed, having broken my knife the day before ; and my pistols were in my holsters. My only chance consisted in dodging round the trees until he should be tired out. Deeply did I regret having left my faithful dogs behind. The bull charged again, sometimes coming with such force against the tree that he fell on his knees ; sometimes bending the saplings behind which I stood, until his horns touched me. There was not a branch I could lay hold of to climb up. How long this awful game lasted I know not; it seemed hours. After the first excitement passed off, weariness took possession of me, and it required all the instinct of selfpreservation to keep rae on my feet. Several times the bull left me for a few seconds, bellowing his malignant discontent, but before I could pass over to a better position, he always came back at full speed. My eyeß grew hot and misty, my knees trembled under me, I felt it impossible to hold out till dark. At length I grew desperate, and determined to make a run for the opposite cover the moment the bull turned to the waterhole again. I felt sure I was doomed, and

thought of it till I grew indifferent. The bull seemed to know T was worn out, and grew more fierce and; rapid in his charges;' but just when I was about to give up, I heard! the rattle of a horse's hoofs among the rocksabove, and a shout that sounded welcome to! 'my ears. Then came the barking of a'dogi and the loud report of a stock-whip; but the; bull, with his eyes fixed on me, never moved. | Up came a horseman at full speed, crack fell! the lash on the black bull's hide; ont spirted V the blood in a long streak. The bull turned savagely to charge the horseman . The horse : wheeled round just enough to baffle him— no more; again the lash descended, cutting like a long flexible razor; but the mad bull was, not to be- beaten off by a whip. He charged again and again, but he had met his match. Right and left, as needed, the horse turned again and again. The stockman shouted something, leaped from his horse, and strode . forward to meet the bull, with an open knife between his teeth. As the beast lowered his head to charge, he seemed to catch him by the horns: there was a struggle— a cloud of dust — a stamping like two strong men wrestling. I could not see clearly, but the next moment the bull was on his back, the blood flowed from his throat, his limbs quivered iv death.