22 Hunting the Grisly 



shifted position, as the herd grazed onward 

 and gave him a fair shot; in the interval they 

 had moved so far forward that he was in plain 

 view. His first bullet struck just behind the 

 shoulder; the herd started and looked around, 

 but the bull merely lifted his head and took a 

 step forward, his tail curled up over his back. 

 The next bullet likewise struck fair, nearly 

 in the same place, telling with a loud "pack I" 

 against the thick hide, and making the dust 

 fly up from the matted hair. Instantly the 

 great bull wheeled and charged in headlong 

 anger, while the herd fled in the opposite di- 

 rection. On the bare prairie, with no spot of 

 refuge, it was useless to try to escape, and the 

 hunter, with reloaded rifle, waited until the 

 bull was not far off, then drew up his weapon 

 and fired. Either he was nervous, or the bull 

 at the moment bounded over some obstacle, 

 for the ball went a little wild ; nevertheless, by 

 good luck, it broke a fore-leg, and the great 

 beast came crashing to the earth, and was slain 

 before it could struggle to its feet. 



Two days after this event, a war party of 

 Comanches swept down along the river. They 

 "jumped" a neighboring camp, killing one 

 man and wounding two more, and at the same 

 time ran off all but three of the horses belong- 



