The Lordly Buffalo 285 



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 anything 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 spite of their fatigue they were very watch- 

 ful and restless, continually snorting or standing 

 with their ears forward, peering out into the night ; 

 wild beasts, or some such things, were about. The 

 day before we had had a false alarm from supposed 

 hostile Indians, who turned out to be merely half- 

 breed Crees; and, as we were in a perfectly lonely 

 part of the wilderness, we knew we were in the do- 

 main of both white and red horse-thieves, and that 

 the latter might in addition to our horses try to take 

 our scalps. It was some time before we dozed off, 

 waking up with a start whenever we heard the 

 horses stop grazing and stand motionless with heads 

 raised, looking out into the darkness. But at last, 

 tired out, we fell sound asleep. 



