The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1912-10-04
FIGHTING A BISON
Exciting Battle With a Savage
Bull In India.
A WILD SCRAMBLE FOR LIFE.

There Were Several Marrow Escapes
For the Hunter That Was Hunted
Before an Unexpected Climax Ended
the Rather One Sided Engagement,
In her book. "Roughing 1t In South
srn India" Mrs. NJ A. Handley pre-
sents graphic description Of thrill.
ing adventure in which member of
her party played one of the star parts,
1t was brilliant but unwilling en-
gagement, and It was too serious
while ii lasted either for comfort or
for the enjoyment of the grimly hui
morous phases Of his enforced battle
and wild scramble for his life. Mrs
Handley says:
although as forest officer II.
had frequently looked death In the
face, he never felt so utterly helpless
at the critical moment as he did in a
certain adventure that he had with
a bull bison. Tho animal took the
aggressive as soon as no was dlscov-
cred. Il. had time only to jump be
hind Il buttress tree.
"The bison began by chasing him
round the tree till his head swan,
The animal gave him not Il moments
leisure In which TO take aim. The
buttress tree is not easy to climb, for
tho trunk throws out walls or but
tresses all round, between which are
deep recesses. To be caught in one
OF them would certainly mean being
pinned to the tree and gored to death.
Half an hour of this exercise did
not tire the bison In the least, where
as from moment to moment II. grew
dizzier. Knowing that he could not
keep 1t up much longer and that Il
fall would be fatal, he started to run
In another direction. Quick as he
was, the bull was quicker. Suddenly
It. felt touch ON his back. Then he
felt himself caught up by the belt
and tossed high into the air.
Luckily the belt gave way, for 9th
down again, to be either tossed once
more or gored. As it was, he was
thrown to distance, while his rifle,
flying out of his hand, struck with a
metallic ring on rock. From where
he lay, Jared almost into q stupor, t.
saw the angry bull so up to the rifle
and trample 1t into ruin of splintered
wood and twisted iron.
"The bison then turned his angry
eyes about and advanced toward f.
who thought himself powerless to stir.
At the last moment, however, he
managed to scramble up from under
the creatures very nose.
"Ncar at hand were his men, one Of
whom carried his spare rifle. This man
watched his opportunity, darted side
wise, dropped the gun into tho grass
and placed stick upright beside 1t
to mark the spot where 1t lay. Mean
while all the others danced and
shouted In order to distract the bulls
attention.
drumming his best, Il. must now
needs stumble, but he picked himself
up and turned round to see what was
In store for him. Before ho could slip
to one side the bull plunged mt him,
knocking him down, and stood over
him, with the foam from his mouth
dropping into his face.
"The huge brown head bent lower
and lower till the bloodshot eyes were
turned downward
"F. had no time to think, lie had
to do whatever the moment suggested
He grnsped the horns, was raised up
by them and balanced for an age long
second In the air; then, partly thrown,
partly springlng to earth. he tore
ahead without stopping to look behind
him.
las he ran toward the rifle placed
ready for him the pounding of hoofS
behind suddenly ceased although the
believing and snortng were redou
bled He turned TO look, and ut the
same instant the mems cries turned
from despair to JOY. The bull had
trapped himself
"In his blind fury, needless of his
own steps. he Ind fallen nearly chest
deep into wedge shaped crevice IN
the rock. with all his feet In n bunch
and the more he struggled the tighter
he stuck II wns the work Of a moment
for #. to seize the rifle and fire the
shot that put the bison out of his mis-
cry"