Finally, just before dawn, it began to seem that their combined efforts were coming to fruition. The two buffaloes ran up from two directions into an open meadow. To the east of it was the forest, and in between the meadow and the forest was a deep cleft strewn with rocks at the bottom. The men had them trapped within a human wall that closed off the other three sides. Soon, tired from the relentless shower of stones, the animals came to a halt and, like criminals in front of a firing squad, stood still, facing the rock-strewn cleft. A cloud of flies buzzed over the wound where the cow-buffalo’s horn had broken off. She looked exhausted, and when she folded her front knees in an attempt to sit down, someone chucked a knife at her and made her get up. The bull swished the remnant of his tail in an attempt to ward of the flies. Strings of foam hung down from the corner of his mouth, and he opened and closed his eyes as though he was going to graze through the entire meadow.

Kuttachan was ready with his gun. He had no doubt that, this time, his bullets would find their target. He commanded the crowd to take two steps back. Two men stood ready with sledgehammers. As soon as the animals were shot down, they were to crack their skulls so that they would not rise again.

Suddenly, Bhanu the bull-buffalo turned around and faced the crowd. They felt that there was a new expression of determination on his face. The gun trembled in Kuttachan’s hand. Before he could make a decision, producing a cry that was unnatural for buffaloes and with what seemed like supernatural strength, Bhanu rushed forward. More than half of the crowd of enthusiasts turned tail and ran away. Peshakan Shanku, who had been at the forefront of the efforts thus far, was the first to take off. The human wall that had extended to all three sides dispersed and gathered together in one place. The cow-buffalo seemed confused at first, but then she ran through the gap to the south, turned east, and disappeared into the forest. No one actually saw her flight.

For the next few minutes, a full-frontal fight ensued between the humans and buffalo. Shaking off their panic, people regrouped and confronted Bhanu with weapons. He lowered his head and rammed into them, tossed several men aside, kicked with all four of his legs, gored them left and right, and trampled over the fallen bodies. As he jumped up in the air, even the most brave-hearted among them cried out in amazement. Trying to catch his legs in a noose, Anthony was kicked to the ground. Kuttachan lost his gun in the melee, but he faced off valiantly with the buffalo. Like a seasoned jallikkattu fighter, he grabbed the buffalo by his horns, and tried to bend his neck and bring him kneeling to the ground. Others pitched in to help, and for a while it seemed as though the buffalo was finally defeated. But, digging in his forelegs, the buffalo shook them off, scooped Kuttachan up with his horns and tossed him away. People would say later that, as Kuttachan fell, his intestines were visible through the wound where the horns had torn into him. They tied him up to a bamboo stretcher and took him away to the hospital.