The Lordly Buffalo. 265 



lowed it well in the moonlight. Our task proved easier 

 than we had feared ; for they had not run much over half 

 a mile, and we found them standing close together and 

 looking intently round when we came up. Leading them 

 back we again went to sleep ; but the weather was rapidly 

 changing, and by three o'clock a fine rain began to come 

 steadily down, and we cowered and shivered under our 

 wet blankets till morning. At the first streak of dawn, 

 having again eaten a couple of biscuits, we were off, glad 

 to bid good-bye to the inhospitable pool, in whose neigh- 

 borhood we had spent such a comfortless night. A fine, 

 drizzling mist shrouded us and hid from sight all distant 

 objects ; and at times there were heavy downpours of 

 rain. Before we had gone any distance we became what 

 is termed by backwoodsmen or plainsmen, " turned round," 

 and the creeks suddenly seemed to be running the wrong 

 way ; after which we travelled purely by the compass. 



For some hours we kept a nearly straight course over 

 the formless, shapeless plain, drenched through, and 

 thoroughly uncomfortable ; then as we rose over a low 

 divide the fog lifted for a few minutes, and we saw several 

 black objects slowly crossing some rolling country ahead 

 of us, and a glance satisfied us they were buffalo. The 

 horses were picketed at once, and we ran up as near the 

 game as we dared, and then began to stalk them, creeping 

 forward on our hands and knees through the soft, muddy 

 prairie soil, while a smart shower of rain blew in our faces, 

 as we advanced up wind. The country was favorable, 

 and we got within less than a hundred yards of the near- 

 est, a large cow, though we had to creep along so slowly 



