The Bison or American Buffalo 33 



while the roar of the cataracts by which the 

 stream was broken ascended from below. 

 Here we moved with redoubled caution, for 

 the sign had grown very fresh and the animals 

 had once more scattered and begun feeding. 

 When the trail led across the glades we 

 usually skirted them so as to keep in the 

 timber. 



At last, on nearing the edge of one of these 

 glades we saw a movement among the young 

 trees on the other side, not fifty yards away. 

 Peering through the safe shelter yielded by 

 some thick evergreen bushes, we speedily 

 made out three bison, a cow, a calf, and a 

 yearling, grazing greedily on the other side of 

 the glade, under the fringing timber; all with 

 their heads up hill. Soon another cow and 

 calf stepped out after them. I did not wish 

 to shoot, waiting for the appearance of the 

 big bull which I knew was accompanying 

 them. 



So for several minutes I watched the great, 

 clumsy, shaggy beasts, as all unconscious they 

 grazed in the open glade. Behind them rose 

 the dark pines. At the left of the glade the 

 ground fell away to form the side of a chasm ; 

 down in its depths the cataracts foamed and 

 thundered; beyond, the huge mountains tow- 



