The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-02-25
ANARRow ESCAPE.

One morning Wn6niA went 20 l0Ok IOr my
horse, be MAS no whereto be found. Itook
the saddle on my head and tracked him for
some miles; it was evident the beast had
besn travelling away in search Of grass
At length when vas about to give up IN
dispair, having quite lost the track on stony
ground, came upon marks quite fresh in
bit Of swampy ground, and q few rods fur
ther found him rolling in the mud Of nearly
. dry water. hole - comfortable - possi..
BILE. put down the saddle and called to
him. At that moment | heard loud roar
and crash in scrub behind me, and out
rushed At terrific pace black bull, charg.
ing straight at me. / had only to throw
myself on Que side Fat on the ground ss he
thundersd by me. Ny next move was to
scramble among clump of trees-one Of
great size, the rest were mere saplings. The
bull, having missed his mark, turned again,
and frst revenged himself BY tossing my
saddle up, in the air, until, fortunately it
lodged in some bushes then. having smelt
me out, hs commenced circuit round the
trees, stamping, paving, and believing
frightfully. With his red eyes and long
sharp horns he looked like demon. was
quite unarmed, having broken my knife the
day before and my pistols were in the hol.
stsrs. Myonly chance consisted in dodging
him around the trees until be should be
tired out. Deeply did l regret having left
my faithful dogs behind. The bull charged
again, sometimes coming with such force
against the tree, that he fell upon his knees;
sometimes bending the saplings behind
which | stood, until bis horns almost touch
ed me. There was not branch could lay
hold of to climb up. E r2's'
How long this awful game lasted know
not, it seemed hours. After the first excite
ment passed of, WEAKNESS again took pos
session Of me, and required al the instinct
Of self preservation to keep me On my feet.
Several times the bulllsft me for few sec-
onds, believing his malignant discomfort |;
but before could pass over to better po-
sition he always came back at full speed
NV eyes grew hot and misty, my knees
tremblsd under me. felt it impossible to
hold out till dark. At length | grew dss-
perate, and determined to make run for
the opposite hole the moment the bull turn
ed towards the water.hole again. felt
sure vas doomed, and thought Of it until
grew Indifferent. The bull seemed to know
Was worn out, and grew more fierce and
rapid in his charges: but whom was Just
about to give up; heard the rattle of =
horses hoofs among the rocks above, and
Q shout that sounded welcome to my ears.
Then came the barking of dog and lond
reports Of stock whip; but the bull with
his eyes ixed on me, never moved. Up
came horssmsn at full speed crack fell
the lash on the black bulls hide, out spirited
the blood in : long strsak. The bull turn
cd savagely to charge the horseman. The
horse wheeled around just enough to bafle
him-once more the lash descended, cutting
like . long flexible rasor but the mad bull
was NOT to be beaten OF BY whip. He
charged again and again; but hs had met
his match. Right and left, . needed ths
horse termed again. The stook-man
shouted something. leapsd from his horss,
and strobe forward to meet the bull with an
open knife between his teeth. AZ the ball
lowered HE head y chasge, b seemed to
catch BY the horns. These was struggle,
cloud Of dust, . stamping like two strong
men wrestling: could not see clearly ;bui
tAe next moment the bull was On his back,
the blood yelling from his thrsss, his limbs
qaissrIng IN death. @ So Is