BUFFALO HUNTING. 205 



and alarmed lest his aged rival should complete the 

 work he so bunglingly began, unguardedly presses too 

 near the bull, who, smarting with his wound, turns upon 

 his heels, and, with one mad plunge, tears out the bow- 

 els of the steed, and rolls him and rider on the iurf. 

 He next rushes at the rider. 



The Indian, wary as the panther, springs aside, and 

 the bull falls headlong on the ground. Ere the bull re- 

 covers himself, the bow is again bent, the flint-headed 

 arrow strikes the hard rib, splits it asunder, and enters 

 the heart. 



The old warrior has looked on with glazed eye and 

 expressionless face, and the young man feels that he has 

 added no laurels to his brow, for an arrow has been 

 spent in vain and his steed killed under him. 



There goes a " brave " with a bow by his side, and 

 his right hand unoccupied. He presses his horse against 

 the very sides of the animal which he is pursuing. Now 

 he leans forward until he seems hidden between the buf- 

 falo and his horse. He rises ; a gory arrow is in his 

 hand ; he has plucked it from a " flesh wound" at full 

 speed, and while in luck, has with better aim brought 

 his victim to the earth. 



The sun is now fairly in its zenith : the buffiilos that 

 have escaped are hurrying away, with a speed that will 

 soon carry them miles beyond the hunter's pursuit. 



The Indians are coming in from the field. The 

 horses breathe hard and are covered with foam. The 



