Failing to dislodge his rider by buck-jumping, the bull threw itself down and proceeded to roll over, bellowing all the time loudly and angrily. Like lightning, however, El Toro sprung to the ground, shouting to his companions to fire. This they did at once; but in the excitement and hurry of the moment, Aniwee missed the bull altogether, and Harry and Topsie’s shots only wounded him. This thoroughly roused his ire to its highest pitch, and he charged straight at the clump whence the shots had proceeded.
“El Lazo, el Lazo!” shouted El Toro, frantically waving his right hand above his head; “Chorlo, lazo el Toro!”
As he spoke, the Indian girl appeared to sprung forward from out her hiding-place waving the lasso which she carried around her head. She was a picture of grace and beauty and glorious muscular strength, a true Amazon of the breezy plain. The bull perceived her, and altering his course so as to front her fully, bore straight at her as a die. But when within fifty paces of the unflinching girl, the whirr of the lasso sounded, and flying straight to meet him like a winged serpent, it alighted gracefully above his sharp-pointed horns. With a sudden jerk the noose closed tight upon them, and the stout hide thong was secure thereon.
Then Chorlo sprung nimbly towards the place of ambush once more, just as the bull, unable to arrest his course, thundered over the ground on which a moment before she had stood luring him on.
As he dashed by, Shag could no longer be restrained, and rushing out sprung savagely at his haunches.
By this time El Toro had come up to Chorlo’s assistance, and had clutched hold of the lasso, which the maddened beast no sooner felt than he reared straight up, and struck out furiously as if fighting the air, and then threw himself on the ground, rolling over and over, and sending Shag flying as if he were a piece of brown paper. But no efforts on the angry captive’s part could dislodge the fatal noose which clung tight around his horns.
As Shag picked himself up and prepared to renew his attack, the bull caught sight of his assailants. With a bellow of defiance, he charged once more pell-mell on the little party. Loudly did El Toro shout to his companions to make a run for the jungle, as still clinging to the lasso he gave the example, an example in which he was imitated by Aniwee, Chorlo, and Topsie. But Harry, with the headstrong inexperience of youth, thought that the opportunity for distinguishing himself was too good to be lost. Instead of obeying El Toro’s advice he knelt down, took careful aim at the charging bull, and fired.
Ping went the bullet as it crashed against the hard skull of the maddened animal, but did not arrest his course. Before Harry could fire again the rifle was dashed from his grasp, and he felt himself raised on the horns of the bull and tossed high in the air. Assuredly if he fell on them in his descent, he must be impaled alive.
But Shag, brave and watchful, was at hand to rescue. With a savage bark he sprang at the bull’s throat, and the brute, tackled by this new assailant, bent its head to the ground, and strove to stamp Harry’s deliverer with its fore feet. As it did so, the boy alighted face downwards on the bull’s back, and rolled therefrom to the ground, fortunately, beyond a good shaking and severe bruising, unhurt. At the same moment El Toro and Chorlo tightened the lasso, and Topsie, rushing from her retreat, took careful aim and fired. With a loud bellow the mighty beast fell forward, almost crushing poor Shag to death beneath its weight.
