The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-05-18
A MAD BUFFALO.
Adventure of Sportsman In India.

and grass which surround the .jhceLs o.
solitary Jungle lakes, are favorite re
sort of buffalo. There they feed ON tn,
rich heritage, and approach the water b,
long tunnels in the grass and reeds. TIL,
extreme danger of encountering thes,
creatures is graphically described b,
Capt. Baldwin, who, one evening, accom-
panied by n native, went down to one o
these Jungle lakes, and, hearing some
thing move in the long grass, had thu
temerity to enter tunnel. Up TO hii
ankles in mud, and with scarcely room I,
move or turn, he was straining his eyes
to discover the game, when there was {
sudden crash through the brushwood
and, before he could bring his rifle int
position, :" L was hurled, he says, "tC
the ground with astonishing quicBnesl
by tremendous butt on the right shoul
der, followed by a pair of huge knees OF
my chest, crushing me down. The buf
falo then commenced butting me with his
huge head. | was covered with foam
from his vile mouth; most luckily the
ground was very soft, or L must have
been killed. / had fallen on my back,
but managed, by clutching the root of 9
small tree, to draw myself from under
him; but as / did so and turned over he
struck me a terrible blow on the back
with his foot, breaking two ribs; and then
/ was powerless, and imagined all hope
of escape to be over. He gave me bad
wound on the left arm, another danger.
Gus one under the arm-pit, third on the
hip-all with his horns; and then found
myself lifted off the ground and thrown
a tremendous somersault in the air. y
Stunned and bleeding, our unfortunate
sportsman was pitched upon his head,
and landed behind low thorn-bush al
the edge of the lake. More dead than
alive, he had yet sufficient presence
OF mind to remain perfectly still. A few
yards off he could see his shaggy foe,
shifting all over the scene of the late
tragedy. Satisfied with his victory, the
buffalo then raised his head, listened in
tently for few minutes, and, to the in
expressible relief of his victim, trotted
off in another direction. Faint and
dizzy, but feeling that he must make al
effort to escape, Capt. Baldwin rose,
staggered about thirty PAGES, and then
fell over in dead faint. When he re.
covered little he found his Hindoc
servant, who had been far too terrified
even to try and help him in his hour OF
need, crying over him, and trying to bind
up his bleeding arm. In moment he
remembered all that had happened; and
motioning to the man to be silent, he
got him to help him to his feet, and
with his assistance, staggered fifty yards
further, when exhausted nature agai1
gave way, and he fell to the ground, able
only to murmurin faint voice, "Water
bring me water ~ The HindOo raj
down to the lake with his masters hat
which he filled with water, and, having
given him little TO drink, poured the
rest of it over his head He then cut his
linen coat into strips, dipped them il
water, and with them bound up the
wounds as well as he could. "Now,
said his master, "put your rifle at full
cock on the ground beside me, and run
for assistance as fast as you can" He
obeyed, and the Captain, in this almost
helpless state, was LETT alone. Night was
beginning to fall, and he could hear from
time to time some animal moving behind
him through the underground of matted
creepers and reeds; but he was too much
exhausted either for curiosity or fear
and at last, through sheer weakness, fell
into doze, from which he was awakened
by the glare of torches. A brother Off
Ger, after long search, had found him
and, although it was many weeks before
he could move hand or foot, he got al
last all right again, and was as dashing {
sportsman as before; only he ever after
ward took good care to give buffalo
bull as wide berth as possible
which prudent precaution he is initiated
even by the tiger. This latter tyrant o
the Jungle, red with the slaughter o
scores of buffalo cows, is careful to trea
with profound respect the grizzled patri
archs of the herd.