erefore galloped along in front of the herd with the intention of
getting on their flanks, or finding some opening through which we might
reach the cows.

At last the chief proposed that we should dismount, and, leaving the
horses under the care of some of the men, try to make our way in on
foot. I thought this a very hazardous experiment, and made some remark
to that effect.

"Not so hazardous as you may suppose," answered the chief. "The animals
will not see you, and you have only to leap out of their way should any
come rushing in the direction where you are standing."

"I have often shot buffalo in that way," exclaimed Robin. "Keep with
me, David, and we'll see what we can do."

I preferred trusting him to the chief, whom Alick and Martin followed.

Robin and I were soon in the midst of the surging sea of horns. His
boldness gave me courage; but it was necessary to keep our eyes round us
on all sides, and to be ready to leap here and there, to get out of the
way of the animals, which were constantly on the move. The part we had
entered was of course far more open than that where we first made the
attempt.

Robin's coolness was wonderful. He was the first to shoot a cow.

"Let it alone," he said; "I see some more out there."

As we made our way onwards and were trying to get at the cows, a whole
mass of the bulls came surging around us, and presently several, putting
their heads to the ground, dashed forward, directly towards the place
where we were standing.

"Here! here!" cried Robin; "we shall be safe," and he pointed to a deep
hollow which in the rainy season had held water, but was now perfectly
dry.

We both leaped in; when the bulls came rushing by us but again stopped,
and others joining them, the whole began to fight with the greatest
desperation. The only chance we had of getting out of our disagreeable
position was to kill the bulls and make our way through them. We fired
and loaded as fast as we could, and seven lay stretched on the ground.

"Now," cried Robin, "is our time to escape."

We sprang up and dashed through the herd; but greatly to our
disappointment, when we looked out for the cows, we found that our
firing had alarmed them, and that they had all run off. Not quite
liking this sort of work, we regained our horses and galloped on to
where we saw a party of our Indian friends, who had just killed a cow.

Most of the herd had moved away from the spot; but one enormous bull