154 BUFFALO LAND. 



tell me of that to her dying day. We were needin' 

 the bacon them times." 



Sachem, who delighted to spoil our cook's stories, 

 declared that, to gain a pig, it was worth the cousin's 

 while to fire an old musket through the window over 

 a drunken Irishman inside. Still that did not excuse 

 him for his carelessness ; he should have seen that 

 the wad flew higher. 



What Dobeen's answer might have been will never 

 be known ; for, just at that moment, the attention of 

 the entire party was suddenly directed to a dark mass 

 of moving objects away off upon our right, a mile 

 distant at least, and to our untrained eyes entirely 

 unrecognizable. The Mexicans, however, pronounced 

 them buffaloes. Whether thinking to vindicate his 

 reputation for personal courage, or whether simply 

 from love of excitement, is not exactly clear, but 

 Dobeen eagerly requested permission to pursue them, 

 and as he would, ex offido, be debarred the pleasure 

 of future sport, consent was given. This was done 

 the more readily, because we knew that Shamus, 

 while as inexperienced in the chase as any of us, 

 was also a wretched rider; for, although constantly 

 boasting of the tournaments he had been engaged in, 

 we all indorsed Sachem's opinion, that, if ever con- 

 nected with such an affair at all, it must have been in 

 holding a horse, not riding one. 



It was worthy of note that every one of the party 

 was as eager for the chase as Shamus, and yet that 

 personage was allowed to ride off alone. Mr. Colon, 

 it is true, essayed to join his company, but after 

 going a hundred yards or so, suddenly changed his 



