American Big-Game Hunting 
round to the front) and right of the. bele 
where they would be convenient for reload- 
ing. Our coats, tied behind the saddle, were 
looked to, the strings which held them being 
tightened and securely retied. All this was 
not lost on our horses, which understood as 
well as we did what was coming. We skirted 
the butte, rode through the low sag and 
down into the little ravine, which soon grew 
deeper, so that our heads were below the 
range of vision of almost anything on the 
butte. Passing the mouth of the little side 
ravine, however, there came into full view a 
huge bull, lying well up on the hillside. 
Luckily his back was toward us, and, each 
bending low over his horse’s neck, we rode 
on, and in a moment were hidden by the side 
of the ravine. Two or three minutes more, 
and we came to another side ravine, which 
was wide and commanded a view of the flat. 
We stopped before reaching this, and a peep 
showed that we were within a few yards of 
two old cows, a young heifer, and a yearling, 
all of them to the north of us. Beyond, we 
could see the backs of others, all lying down. 
We jumped on our horses again, and set- 
206 
