Part 5 (2/2)
”I took the rope down to exa, with an iron ring neatly whipped into the loop-end; and, on trying it with a pull, I saas in the best condition Of course, I was not likely to leave such a prize behind reat regard for a rope, considering that one had just saved all our lives; so I resolved on bringing the lasso with me In order to carry it thethe coil across , which they filled chock up to theto come back to camp, when e e of the woods, and through the trunks I could see a large open space beyond, where there were no trees, or only one here and there In thethere was a cloud of dust, and in the thick of it I could see two great dark ani about, and now and then coether with a sudden rush; and every time they did so, I could hear a loud thue-ha upon the yellow dust-cloud, and the animals appeared froer than they really were Had I not knohat kind of creatures were before me, I should have believed that the mammoths were still in existence But I knehat they were: I had seen aed in one of their terrible battles
”Here Basil's narrative was interrupted by a singular incident Indeed, it had been interrupted e noises that were heard at some distance off in the woods These noises were not all alike: at one ti; at another, they s of a person as being hanged; and then would follow a shriek so dreadful that for some time the woods would echo with its dish would be heard, but a h of a sane person
”All these strange voices were calculated to inspire terror, and so have they many a time, with travellers not accustoeurs were not at all alarmed by them
They knew from what sort of a creature they proceeded; they knew they were the varying notes of the great horned-owl; and as they had seen and heard many a one before, they paid no heed to this individual
”While Basil was going on with his relation, the bird had been several tilide past, and circle around upon his noiseless pinions
So easy was his flight, that the slightest inclining of his spread tail, or the bending of his broad wing, see could be ht, which was not unlike that of the eagle, while he was but little inferior in size to one of these noble birds
”What interrupted Basil was, that the owl had alighted upon a branch not twenty feet fro round the fire, by the blaze of which they now had a full view of this singular creature Theits hideous and unh such a variety of contortions, both with its head and body, as to cause the whole party a fit of laughter It was, in fact, an odd and interesting sight to witness its grotesque movements, as it turned first its body, and then its head around, without lared in the light of the fire At the end of every attitude and utterance, it would snap its bill with such violence, that the cracking of the ht have been heard to the distance of several hundred yards
”This was too much for Francois' patience to bear, and he iot hold of the piece, and cocked it; but, just as he was about to take ai gently forward, thrust out its feathered leg, and lifted one of the grouse in its talons The latter had been lying upon the top of a fallen tree not six feet fro it, rose into the air; and the next moment would have been lost in darkness, but the crack of Francois' rifle put a sudden stop to its flight, and with the grouse still clinging to its claws it fell fluttering to the earth Marengo juo little knew the sort of creature he had to deal with”
It happened to be only ”winged,” and as soon as the dog came near, it threw itself upon its back, and struck at him with its talons so wickedly, that he was fain to approach it with ht before he succeeded in getting his jaws over it During the contest it continually snapped its bill, while its great goggle eyes kept alternately and quickly opening and closing, and the feathers being erected all over its body, gave it the appearance of being twice its real size Marengo at length succeeded in ”crunching”
it--although not until he ell scratched about the snout--and its useless carcass having been thrown upon the ground, the dog continued to worry and chew at it, while Basil went on with his narration
CHAPTER IX
BASIL AND THE BISON-BULL
”As soon as I saw the buffaloes,” continued Basil, ”et near, and have a shot at thee of powder and lead, and I reflected that if I could kill but one of theer for a couple of weeks to co to the branch of a tree, and set about approaching theer of their scenting round was as level as a table, and there was not a score of trees upon asup, and I did not attehtly as I went In five e Neither of the bulls had noticed me They were too busy with one another, and in allin such earnest They were foa at the mouth, and the steam poured out of their nostrils incessantly”
At times, they would back froether head-foremost, until their skulls cracked with the terrible collision One would have fancied that they would break them at every fresh encounter, but I knew the thickness of a buffalo's skull before that ti fired ame not more than six feet distant, when, to round before the nose of the buffalo!
The creature was not less astonished than myself, as up to that time it had not seen me
”Well,” continued Basil after a pause, ”I did not stop long to watch the battle of the bison-bulls I was not curious about that I had seen suchabout the h to select the one that appeared to have the most fat upon his flanks, when I drew up my rifle and fired I aimed for the heart, andwith the crack Just at thatupon it, and, tothe wounded one full butt upon the forehead, it knocked the latter right over upon its side; where, after giving half-a-dozen kicks, it lay quite dead
”The re bull had dashed soain to renew his attack On seeing his antagonist stretched out and motionless, he seemed to be as much astonished as I was At first, no doubt, he fancied hirand _coup_, for it was plain that up to this time he had neither noticednoise that both were ether with the long shaggy tufts that hung over his eyes, had prevented hi ed
”Now that the other was no longer able to stand before hi it was himself that had done the deed, he tossed up his head and snorted in triumph At this moment, theso un I fancied he would take off before I could finish, and I made all the haste in my power--so much so that I dropped the box of caps at my feet I had taken one out, however, and hurriedly adjusted it, thinking to ht lie where it was until I had finished the job
”I brought the piece to my shoulder, when, toaway, as I had expected, set his head, and uttering one of his terrible bellows, ca towards h it hit him in the snout, it did not in the least disable hi him off, it only seeht
”I had no tiain He ithin a few feet ofto one side, I avoided his horns; but I did so, and he passed round shake under his heavy tread
”He wheeled immediately, and made at one His horns were set, and his eyes glared with a terrible earnestness I rushed towards the body of the buffalo that lay near, hoping that thisthe onset It did so, for, as he dashed forward over it, he becaed without striking ain rushed bellowing upon me There was a tree near at hand I had noticed it before, but I could not tell whether I should have ti that I er upon the ground, I struck out for the tree
”Youafter, but before he could overtake ot to the root of the tree It was my intention, at first, only to take shelter behind the trunk; but when I had got there, I noticed that there were sothem