The Bison or American Buffalo 19 



ing, rumbling noise, like far-off thunder. It 

 grew steadily louder, and, not knowing what 

 it meant, they hurried forward to the top of 

 the rise. As they reached it, they stopped 

 short in terror and amazement, for before 

 them the whole prairie was black with madly 

 rushing buffaloes. 



Afterward they learned that another couple 

 of hunters, four or five miles off, had fired 

 into and stampeded a large herd. This herd, 

 in its rush, gathered others, all thundering 

 along together in uncontrollable and increas 

 ing panic. 



The surprised hunters were far away from 

 any broken ground or other place of refuge, 

 while the vast herd of huge, plunging, mad 

 dened beasts was charging straight down on 

 them not a quarter of a mile distant. Down 

 they came! thousands upon thousands, their 

 front extending a mile in breadth, while the 

 earth shook beneath their thunderous gallop, 

 and, as they came closer, their shaggy front 

 lets loomed dimly through the columns of 

 dust thrown up from the dry soil. The two 

 hunters knew that their only hope for life was 

 to split the herd, which, though it had so broad 

 a front, was not very deep. If they failed they 

 would inevitably be trampled to death. 



