Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1865-01-12
BARON MUNCHAUsEN IN INDIA A BUF-
FAL0 STORY.

A paper published in India tells this re
markable exciting story about an adventure
there of an enthusiastic entomologist
Gone very hot day, shouldering his en-
tomological net, and with his bottle of
cyanide of potassium in his pocket for the
purpose of killing his specimens, he had
succeeded in taking several species of moths
and beetles, when suddenly emerging on an
open space, gigantic female buffalo
charged right down upon him. Quick as
lightning the narrator sprang up tree
which fortunately happened to be near, and
almost before he had comfortably settled
down upon one of the branches, buffalo
calf appeared upon the scene, and both
mother and offspring sat down at the foot
of the tree, directly under his position. In
order to attract the attention of his friends,
who were in the neighborhood, or any ma
tive who might happen to be near, he
shouted until he was hoarse Ever and
anon, by way of variation, with the vain
hope of frightening away the buffalo, he
awakend the EXTREMIST echoes of the jungle
with his yells, and perpetrated the most
hideous noises ever produced by the human
voice.
All was of no avail no friendly hand
came to aid him, and the brute still lay
placidly licking and caressing its calf. He
was about to assume standing attitude in
the tree, when suddenly his left hand, with
which he had seized a branch above his
head, was severely stung or bitten by some
insect or animal Starting with the acute
pain, as the fear of whip or tree snakes
flashed through his mind, he involuntary
loosed his hold of the bough, and thus de-
prived of support he lost his balance and
fell from his place of refuge. He dropped
on the buffalo's back, and in another in
stant was carried away at tremendous
pace through the long thick grass Of the
Jungle 1t was difficult matter to keep
his seat, when all at once the buffalo sprang
into a large tank" and he was immersed
up to his neck in water. Unable to swim,
he was obliged to cling to the brute, which
for time swan round and round the pool
at her pleasure. He only hoped his legs
would not be seized by one of the alliga-
tors, of which he had seen several in the
water during the day. Then, to his infinite
horror, a singing sensation in his leg made
him feel sure he had again been bitten by
another kind Of serpent. And still the buf-
falo showed no signs of returning towards
the land when just as he thought he was
preparing to lie down, he dug his heels III
to her side and delivered random blows
with his fist on her head and neck Then,
striking out for land, the brute speedily
reached the shore, ON gaining which she
commenced her mad gallop. A few min
utes brought them to the spot from which
the animal had started, where the calf was
still standing.
The buffalo was preparing TO lie down,
when seizing the branches of the tree from
which he had fallen on the brutes neck, he
swung himself up in his old position. He
had not, however, been very long there
when the smarting in his hand and legs
caused him to remember that he had beer
bitten by snakes The very idea of this,
and the knowledge that one of these veno-
nous reptiles was in the tree on which he
was perched, caused deadly faintness,
from which it was some time before he raj
lied
Alternately fainting and reviving, hour
after hour passed away, night darkened
down upon the Jungle, and the buffalo still
kept watch and ward at the foot of the tree.
At length, at an advanced hour Of the night,
he suddenly became conscious that strug-
gle was going on between the buffalo and
some large wild animal, which he judged to
be tiger The growing of the latter
he continues, the groans of the buffalo,
the noise of their struggle, and the lnces-
SAINT bleating of the calf, combined in pro-
ducing series of sounds, which, in the
darkness Of night appeared worthy of the
inhabitants of Pandemonium. For full five
minutes, which appeared hours to me, the
dreadful struggle continued, until at length
groans of the buffalo subsided into a series
of convulsive gasps and snorts and the
sounds Of struggling on the ground almost
ceased. | could, however, hear the tiger
growing, snarling, and splitting like an i'm
mense cat Of course descent was now
quite out of the question. therefore de-
termined to remain where | was until day
light, if did not die from the effects of the
snake bites before morning appeared. So
strong was the interest with which | list
ened and strained my eyes for the purpose
of learning what was going on below, that
| never ceased to think of this contingency,
and forgot the death-lke swoons | had pre-
viously experienced.
after some time spent in listening to
the noise made by the animal while enjoying
his feast of buffalo flesh, the sounds ceased
suddenly. | felt sure, however, that
the beast had not departed, for | had
kept my eyes fixed on the dark outlines un-
der the shadow of the tree, and the mass
remained of the same appearance. fan
cied could trace the form of a tiger lying
alongside the dead buffalo, and this was
the shape the dark object had assumed and
retained since the termination of the con-
f1ict"
At length, however, succor was at hand.
Seeing light in the distance, he shouted
as loudly as he could, and this attracted the
notice of party who had set out in search
of him On coming up to the spot, both
tiger and buffalo were found to be dead.
On telling his friends he had been bitten by
snakes they first examined his hand, and
pronounced the wound he received while in
the tree to have been caused by the sting
of a hornet On turning down his stock
ings they discovered several leeches gorged
with blood, for numbers of these voracious
animals had bitten him during his ride
through the water on the buffalo's back
The Paintings he had experienced were at
tributed to loss of blood from the leech
| bites
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