156 ADVENTURES OF DR. ALLEN. 



hand and began to slap him on the side of the head, shooting 

 everything that came near on the other side. 



We crossed the head of a canyon, and such a crashing 

 of old, dead pine and rattling over stones I have never heard 

 since. My horse lost his footing once and fell. I thought I 

 should be trampled to death, but the pony did not go clear 

 down, and with one bound he went up the bank with the 

 herd, in safety. I scarcely knew how or which way to turn 

 to get out of the mass of flying brutes, but I did know that 

 my situation was getting dangerous,, so I turned to what I 

 supposed to be the west. 



My horse seemed to understand what I wanted, and 

 soon got to an opening in the ranks, and was once more on 

 open ground. I dismounted and watched the herd go by. 

 Thousands of buffaloes passed and the roar sounded like 

 thunder. I went to camp, covered with dust and perspira- 

 tion, and Steward and I returned to the field of slaughter to 

 find eighteen buffaloes, killed and wounded. 



"Wall," said Steward, "that will do; we will make a 

 winter camp here. This looks like livin'." 



We skinned the choicest robes and took the meat to 

 camp, which occupied us for three days. On the third 

 morning, when we were coming in, I saw a large mountain 

 lion, lying on a ledge of rocks, near where we had been 

 passing. The old man straightened up in his saddle, pushed 

 back his old white hat and said: 



"Wall, you have had enough shooting lately. I will 

 wait on his majesty." 



He slid down from his jackass, pulled his old Sharp's 

 from the sling and inserted a .44-75. He walked a few steps 

 from the craggy ledge, raised his rifle as though he were 

 going to shoot at a target, his right foot forward and his 

 game leg under him. I thought he would never fire, but 



