Hunting in Many Lands 



the intention of apprehending him, by the energetic su- 

 perintendent, Captain Anderson, He proceeded on his 

 course as swiftly as a howling wind would permit, when 

 he was surprised by seeing suspended from some trees 

 six buffalo scalps. He now felt that he was in close 

 vicinity to the man he was hunting, and that his business 

 had become a serious one. He knew the man who had 

 done that deed was prepared to resist and commit a 

 greater crime. But this did not deter him and he again 

 took the trail. He had proceeded only a short distance 

 when he heard six shots. Hastening up a hill, he saw 

 Howell engaged in butchering five buffalo, the victims of 

 the six shots. Howell's gun was resting on the body of 

 one of the slain animals, a few feet away from where he 

 was engaged in removing a scalp from another of the 

 bison. So occupied was he in his work that he did not 

 perceive the scout, who had emerged in plain view, and 

 who silently glided to the weapon, and, securing it, had 

 Howell at his mercy. The demand to throw up his 

 hands was the first intimation Howell had that he was 

 not alone in the buffalo country. It must have been 

 difficult for the scout at that moment not to forget that 

 ours is a Government of law, and to refrain from making 

 as summary an end of Howell as Howell had made of 

 the buffalo. 



The poacher accepted his capture with equanimity, 

 casually remarking that if he had seen Burgess first he 

 never would have been captured. He was conveyed to 

 the post headquarters. As soon as the Secretary of the 

 Interior heard of his arrest, he ordered his discharge, as 

 there was no law by which he could be detained or other- 

 wise punished. Howell was proud of his achievement 



414 



