Middletown transcript., 1876-07-29

than the wind blowing against it.
put my hand to my belt; but my
revolver was gone. the scabbard was
empty. 1t had probably fallen out
when I was thrown from my horse.
It was with feeling somewhat Of
despair that found it gone. 1t seem
ed as if there was nothing but death
before me; for how could hope to es-
cape from. or cope successfully with. a
wounded buffalo-wounded. as | knew.
in no vital part, but sufficiently to mad
den him.
1 could hear more plainly his hall
grunt and half snort close upon my
6eels-could feel his very breath upon
my back; in another instant be would
be upon me-would pierce me with his
short, stumpy horns-would grind me
to the earth with bis monster head. and
trample me beneath his feet. I indeed
felt that my time had come-that no
earthly power could save me; and in
stinctively l areathed a prayer to
heaven.
At that instant my feet became en-
tangled, and fell the maddened crea
ture had just touched me as ! went
down, and was under such terrible
headway that he passed directly over
me without touching me. As his tail
brushed over my face | grasped it. and
was dragged to my feet, as the buffalo.
stopping suddenly, attempted to turn
upon me But l had a new lease Of my
life. l held on to his tail with death
grasp, and was dragged round and
round.
You may smile, but the tail-hold was
my best hold now, and my only hope of
life; and I held on with grim deter
mination, while the bull wheeled round
and round. roared, snorted and paved
the ground in his terrible rage, but
could not shake me off.
But what should do now? I knew
I could not hold to him long. as my
strength was nearly exhausted, having
run SO before fell.
His wound was bleeding profusely,
and my hope was that be might become
exhausted first /; but he seemed far from
that now, while l seemed very near to
it. | knew my strength could hold out
but. little longer and to let 60 was GER
tain death.
The bull would suddenly take freak
and run and below with all his might,
dragging me with velocity-then be
would stop, and with terrible snort
attempt to turn on me, and it was more
than l could do. with my failing
strength, to keep out of his way, and
several times his horns rent my clothing.
This state Of things could not con-
tinue; I was growing weaker, and l
felt my hold relaxing. I was jerked
hither and thither, my arms nearly
pulled from their sockets-worried al
most to death, and about to lose my
hold-when, as the mad creature paused
an instant, the sharp crack of a rifle
rang out upon the air, and the huge
creature gave one plunge. and fell upon
his side in the death-struggle.
l was safe, but it came not moment
too soon. I too, fell to the ground,
more dead than alive. The sequel is
soon told. 1t was Bob who had saved
me He had been more fortunate than
1, and after a hard chase, had killed
bis game, and then looked round for
me. The first thing he saw was my
horse without rider. and then dis
covered me IN the distance clinging to
the bulls tail for dear life, and putting
spurs to his horse, be came to my as
It was some time before he
could venture to shoot, for fear of hit
ting me, but he finally succeeded in
planting ball directly in the animals
breast.