ON THE QUI-VIVE. 3G5 



and suddenly darting forward, he carried with him the 

 whole body of hunters, every man being animated with his 

 own enthusiasm an enthusiasm only moderated by a 

 knowledge of the country, a scientific acquaintance with 

 the rules of the chase, and the familiarity most of us pos- 

 sessed with the habits of the bisons. 



It is advisable I should here inform my readers that 

 the innumerable herds which pasture on the velvety 

 sward of the American prairies are always on the qui-vive. 

 The Indians hunt them so constantly ; the cayeutes, like 

 bold and formidable wolf-hounds, attack them so often, 

 that every animal divines approaching danger with extra- 

 ordinary instinct : with nostrils to the wind, and ears 

 erect, the bisons gathered round the bigger members of 

 the herd (who are always the oldest and most experienced) 

 resemble so many advanced posts, ready to give the alarm 

 at the slightest indication of an enemy. 



Thanks to the undulations of the ground, with all of 

 which Rahm-o-j-or was perfectly familiar, we contrived 

 to get within two gunshot ranges of the nearest bison, 

 an enormous beast, with a hairy hump, with feet light 

 and flexible as steel, who, though his eyes were turned 

 in our direction, appeared wholly unsuspicious of our 

 approach. The soil over which our horses galloped was 

 not a good conductor of sound, and the wind blew so 

 violently, striking us in the face, that it was impossible 

 for our quadrupedal sentinel either to hear our coming or 

 to sniff the proximity of man. 



Suddenly a terrible noise was heard ; the entire herd 



