In North-West Canada. 125 



An old settler relates the following which occurred nearly 

 forty years ago when he was a young man : 



While crossing the prairie on horse-back, he overtook a 

 couple of emigrants and their families and waggons. The day 

 had been terribly hot, and towards evening the atmosphere 

 became very sultry and oppressive, the sky was dark and a 

 thunderstorm approaching. Water had been very scarce all day, 

 but at last they came to a stream which had not yet dried up ; 

 here they quenched their own thirst and that of their horses. 

 As the storm approached nearer, streaks of vivid lightning lit 

 up the prairie, so they decided to camp near the stream for the 

 night. Their supper over, they began to prepare the best 

 shelter they could to shield them from the coming storm. 

 Suddenl}^ their horses became very restless and began to neigh, 

 which caused the men to look around them for the cause there- 

 of, when to their dismay they beheld toward the horizon, a 

 great black mass moving towards them. The emigrants newl}" 

 arrived from the east did not realize the danger they were in, 

 but the horseman, who had lived on the prairie some j^ears, 

 knew that if the herd came that way, a catastrophe might 

 follow. Hurriedly the w^aggons were drawn close together, the 

 horses tied to the wheels, and the women and children got into 

 the waggons and crouched at the bottom with fear. The men 

 and boys got their guns and climbed in front of the waggons 

 in hopes of being able to frighten the animals off on their ap- 

 proach. The horsman mounted his steed and looking towards 

 the seething mass of buffaloes, he took in the situation at a 

 glance. On they came in thousands, causing clouds of dust to 

 rise in their maddened career. The men turned pale and the 

 poor women and children l^egan to tremble and cry out with 

 fear. The sight was fearfully grand, and the old settler said 

 he remembered it as well as if it had onl}" happened yesterday. 

 On and on they came until the leaders of the buffaloes were 

 only a few hundred yards away. He saw there was no hope 

 for the little band of settlers, and it was now time for him to 

 try and save his own life, so he called out to the men, " I can- 

 not help you. God bless you all," and with that he galloped off 



