l to move and show his
shoulder for a favourable shot. But instead of doing this he put his
head down, and, foaming with rage, went at him full tilt. The big
horse never stirred; it seemed to be petrified, Henri had just time to
fire at the monster's neck, and the next moment was sprawling on his
back, with the horse rolling over four or five yards beyond him. It
was a most effective tableau--Henri rubbing his shins and grinning
with pain, the horse gazing in affright as he rose trembling from the
plain, and the buffalo bull looking on half stunned, and evidently
very much surprised at the result of his charge.

Fortunately, before he could repeat the experiment, Dick galloped up
and put a ball through his heart.

Joe and his comrades felt a little ashamed of their exploit on this
occasion, for there was no need to have killed three animals--they
could not have carried with them more than a small portion of one--and
they upbraided themselves several times during the operation of
cutting out the tongues and other choice portions of the two victims.
As for the bull, he was almost totally useless, so they left him as a
gift to the wolves.

Now that they had come among the buffalo, wolves were often seen
sneaking about and licking their hungry jaws; but although they
approached pretty near to the camp at nights, they did not give the
hunters any concern. Even Crusoe became accustomed to them at last,
and ceased to notice them. These creatures are very dangerous
sometimes, however, and when hard pressed by hunger will even attack
man. The day after this hunt the travellers came upon a wounded old
buffalo which had evidently escaped from the Indians (for a couple of
arrows were sticking in its side), only to fall a prey to his deadly
enemies, the white wolves. These savage brutes hang on the skirts of
the herds of buffaloes to attack and devour any one that may chance,
from old age or from being wounded, to linger behind the rest. The
buffalo is tough and fierce, however, and fights so desperately that,
although surrounded by fifty or a hundred wolves, he keeps up the
unequal combat for several days before he finally succumbs.

The old bull that our travellers discovered had evidently been long
engaged with his ferocious adversaries, for his limbs and flesh were
torn in shreds in many places, and blood was streaming from his sides.
Yet he had fought so gallantly that he had tossed and stamped to death
dozens of the enemy