The Lordly Buffalo. 26 3 



up his head ; I was holding the rifle in both hands, and 

 the pony's head, striking it, knocked it violently against 

 my forehead, cutting quite a gash, from which, heated as 

 I was, the blood poured into my eyes. Meanwhile the 

 buffalo, passing me, charged my companion, and followed 

 him as he made off, and, as the ground was very bad, for 

 some little distance his lowered head was unpleasantly 

 near the tired pony's tail. I tried to run in on him again, 

 but my pony stopped short, dead beat ; and by no spur- 

 ring could I force him out of a slow trot. My companion 

 jumped off and took a couple of shots at the buffalo, 

 which missed in the dim moonlight ; and to our unutter- 

 able chagrin the wounded bull labored off and vanished in 

 the darkness. I made after him on foot, in hopeless and 

 helpless wrath, until he got out of sight. 



Our horses were completely done out ; we did not 

 mount them again, but led them slowly along, trembling, 

 foaming, and sweating. The ground was moist in places, 

 and after an hour's search we found in a reedy hollow a 

 little mud-pool, with water so slimy that it was almost 

 gelatinous. Thirsty though we were, for we had not 

 drunk for twelve hours, neither man nor horse could 

 swallow more than a mouthful or two of this water. We 

 unsaddled the horses, and made our beds by the hollow, 

 each eating a biscuit ; there was not a twig with which to 

 make a fire, nor any thing to which we might fasten the 

 horses. Spreading the saddle-blankets under us, and our 

 own over us, we lay down, with the saddles as pillows, to 

 which we had been obliged to lariat our steeds. 



The ponies stood about almost too tired to eat ; but in 



