The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-03-28

age IS short at home, they may b. sent a.
way.
In looking over Dumas Thousand and
one PhantOms" few evenings since. We came
across the following description OF scene
which would have made glad the heart of anv
lover of the exciting national pa>'ime of ol.!
Spain. 1t seems tina, Father Po!vpus. while
on hunting excursion in India. had the mis-
fortune to kill wild boar. lie therefore
thought 1t would be the simplest thing in the
world to shoot tiger. rh:orcroS or an ele-
phant. Let us see how he succeeded:
once more resumed my march through
the forest. desiring no,hin! better than to en-
gaze in a struggle .or life or death with all
the monster. in tn. islands Twas conse-
quentiv too eager 10 remark that | was rra
dualy wandering from the hunting party
They had told me that the road went up for
about two hours in an ascent; and in less than
an hour | found myself .oin. down a hill
| Suddenly, at the distance of few wards.
heard terrible believing. turned to the
side whence the noise proceeded, and there
stood buffalo.
| On. that was fine piece Of game for sports
man. Nevertheless. NV gun shook little
i don't know wEy-between nv hands. /
steadird it against the branch of tree. and
pulled the trigger. Scarcely had done 50.
J when saw two red. flaming ewes coming
towards me, whilst furions beast ior, IL, ti.,.
soil with his muzzle as al plow divides i; into
/ burrows. | let 90 NV second shot but instead
of slackenin. his pace my second aim seemed
to quicken it.
| had only time enough left 20 seize hold of
a branch Of a tree un,icr which | was stand
ing. and swing myself up TO it, and then to
climb to the upper branches. But when
got there was far from being quit OF INV but
falo; for not being able to follow me up the
tree, he very wisely bctook himself to guard
the trunk Of it. During the first ten minutes,
said to him: "You NAV 90 round and round
my good man; don't care a Fl, for vou, de-
pend upon it," But the next ten minutes |
began to see that it was more serious mat
ter than at first had imagined.
When had been perched there an hour
understood by the quiet composure with which
Le paced round the tree, that he was re>olv.
ed to continue TO be my keeper until he could
become my executloner. Occasionally he
raised his head up. ans! looked at me with 90
rv eyes. bellowing in threatening manner; !;
then he woui nibbic the grass that rev
round the tree, as ii to say You >ee.l have
here all | require-SraSs to cat, the morning
and evening dew to slake NV thirst: whilst
YOU, as you are a carnlverOus animal, and
unaccustomed to feed OH verdure, YOU will be
forced to come down from YOUR shelter: and
whenever you do. it will be all up with you."
Fortunately, Father Polypus is daring
blade, who is not likely to 90 to sleep in an
emergency. | said to myself: "Polypus, my
friend, the longer you wait the weaker YOU
will become. Allow your buffalo all hour to
sheer Oft, and if within that he is not gone,
why then we shall See.'
looked at my watch-it was eleven O.
clock. "Good,' said !; 'at twelve o'clock
we shall come to reckoning"
As had suspected, the buffalo. instead of
leaving the tree. continued to keep watch,
raising his nose from time to time upwards,
and believing with ali his might. As for me
every ten minutes looked at lny watch and
drank a sip out Of my flask. At the fittieth
minute, said to hun: Mind, my worthy
friend, you have only ten minutes left; aud
1t in ten inmates more, You have not taken
yourself of, we will 20 away together" But
at the ftty-ninth minute, instead of rlakin.
oil, he lay down, stretching his head towards
the foot Of the tree, diIatlng his nostrlls, and
:lancins at me with AN angry look, which
seemed to say: "Oh. we have vet time
enough before us. Don't be uneasy
But had determined otherwise At the
six,eth minute, swallowed all the rum had
left; a good pull, too. took my cutla. te-
tween my teeth. and calculating the ground
contrived to fall just yard behind hls tail,
which selzed with nv lett hand as had seen
the Spanish torreros do at Cadlz and Rlo .Da-
metro.
Though the buffalo was very nimble, l was
quite as much SO, and when he started up.
c!uEg to his tail. lie roiied hlmsclt over two
or three times, and as he did it, | rolled his
tail as Otter round my arm. Then, seem.
that whilst l remained thus screwed 10 hls
hams he could not spike ne with his hornS, |
began to recover from my alarm, whilst he
kept believing with all his mght-thouyh.
u" u u'", - vas uoul dnSer tnat nt uiu II.
"Wait. waltz said | to him. so YOU
below from anger, my friend: will make
you below with pain directly, that will"
Then taking out my knife, plunged it in
to his belly.
All! this time, indeed. had hit him in his
tender part, it appeared for he shot up like
careerlng horse. and sprang forwards with
SO unexpected shock that INV arm was nearly
torn away but held hard. let him 90.
and slash slash! riddled him with st,t,s.
That was race l never wish YOU to run
yourselves gentlemen 1t had lasted a
quarter OF an hour, and was carried six
miles along through bushes, over brooks.
marshes, and rivulets it was like being fas,.u.
ed to locomotive engine. And still kep,
digging my cutlas into him. Oh, the wretch,
oh' the rascal oh, the villain! Wait a bit
wait bit! And now it was not fury: !, wa,
rase-'t was madness he fe.s And away he
scamPered up to the top OF steep rock. and
ieaped over into the yawnin: gulf. But
had seen the trick, and let 60 bis tail at the