Having safely fixed himself in a forked bough, Edward then surveyed
the position of the parties. There was Humphrey in the tree, without
his gun. The bull who had pursued Humphrey was now running at Smoker,
who appeared to be aware that he was to decoy the bull toward Edward,
for he kept retreating toward him. In the mean time, the two other
bulls were quite close at hand, mingling their bellowing and roaring
with the first; and one of them as near to Edward as the first bull,
which was engaged with Smoker. At last, one of the advancing bulls
stood still, pawing the ground as if disappointed at not finding an
enemy, not forty yards from where Edward was perched. Edward took good
aim, and when he fired the bull fell dead. Edward was reloading his
piece when he heard a howl, and looking round, saw Smoker flying up in
the air, having been tossed by the first bull; and at the same time he
observed that Humphrey had descended from the tree, recovered his gun,
and was now safe again upon the lower bough.
The first bull was advancing again to attack Smoker, who appeared
incapable of getting away, so much was he injured by the fall, when
the other bull, who apparently must have been an old antagonist of the
first, roared and attacked him; and now the two boys were up in the
tree, the two bulls fighting between them, and Smoker lying on the
ground, panting and exhausted.
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