The creature began to bellow, and struggle to escape; its mother ran to
its assistance, and, with her, the whole herd. At that moment,--I
tremble as I write it, I gave the signal to my brave Jack, who behaved
with admirable coolness, and at the same moment we fired on the herd.
The effect was wonderful: they paused a moment, and then, even before
the smoke was dissipated, took to flight with incredible rapidity,
forded the river, and were soon out of sight. My dogs still held their
prize, and the mother, though wounded by our shot, tore up the ground in
her fury, and was advancing on the dogs to destroy them; but I stepped
forward, and discharging a pistol between the horns, put an end to
her life.
We began to breathe. We had looked death in the face,--a most horrible
death; and thanked God for our preservation. I praised Jack for his
courage and presence of mind; any fear or agitation on his part would
have unnerved me, and rendered our fate certain. The dogs still held the
young calf by the ears, it bellowed incessantly, and I feared they would
either be injured or lose their prize. I went up to their assistance. I
hardly knew how to act. I could easily have killed it; but I had a great
desire to carry it off alive, and try to tame it, to replace our ass,
whom I did not intend to follow farther.
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