222 THE HIVE OF THE BEE-HUNTER. 



fastened on them a few inches from the end, so as to 

 form a fork, were taken in their place. Arriving in the 

 vicinity of the buffalo, those who were disposed entered 

 into the sport pell-mell. 



Like a faithful squire I kept close at the heels of 

 " Breeches," who soon brought a fine young heifer bel- 

 lowing to the ground. As the animal uttered sounds 

 of pain, one or two fierce-looking bulls that gallantly 

 followed in the rear, exposing themselves to attack to 

 preserve the weaker members of the herd, stopped 

 short for an instant, and eyed us with most unpleasant 

 curiosity. This roused the knight of the deer-skin 

 breeches ; and, brandishing his stick over his head with 

 a remarkable degree of dexterity, he dashed off as if de- 

 termined to slay both at once. 



My two companions who started out as Ta-wa-ki-nas, 

 had done but little execution, not understanding their 

 work, or alarmed at so near an approach of the animals 

 they wounded, without bringing them to the earth. As 

 " Breeches " dashed on after the bulls, he severally 

 crossed the route of all who were on the chase ; and as 

 he was unquestionably the hero of the day, all followed 

 in his train, determined to see hamstringing done sci- 

 entifically. 



It is a singular fact in the formation of the buffalo, 

 and the familiar cattle of the farm-yard, that, although 

 so much alike in general appearance, the domesticated 

 animal will, after being hamstrung, run long distances. 



