256 A BRILLIANT SHOT. 



notice of the antelope till notice would be too late. Be 

 fore I reached within shot, however, the beautiful beast 

 turned his head, looked at me, and then darted off at tip 

 top speed in a contrary direction from the bisons. To 

 follow him was useless, so, never having slackened speed, 

 I again went at the buffalo. 



Just before I reached them, a calf sprang out of some 

 grass in an endeavour to overtake the herd, and it being 

 all in the line I put Sylph to her utmost speed to get a 

 shot at the calf. At first the calf was on my right, which 

 was not easy for a rifle shot, so I charged right on the 

 little game, Sylph more steady, and not caring for a 

 creature of that size ; when I was immensely amused by 

 this buffalo in miniature, when she found I was almost on 

 her, drawing up, crooking her tail, and charging right at 

 the mare, narrowly missing her quarters ! The calf thus 

 passing behind me, then came up on my left, which was 

 just where I wanted her, both going at full speed, when, 

 with the first barrel, I rolled her over with a bullet through 

 the heart. By this time I had heard several shots at the 

 herd, so thinking that there would be wounded bulls to 

 deal with even if I delayed a few minutes, I jumped off 

 Sylph and took the tongue and tail, without the produc 

 tion of which we made it a rule never to believe in the 

 death of game. Major Martin saw me make this shot, 

 which, as a successful attainment, was a brilliant one. I 

 was soon on Sylph again, and to my great joy met eleven 

 old bulls coming back upon me. On seeing me they 

 veered off. To these I immediately gave chase, and 

 reached them close enough to deliver two shots, but with 

 out any visible effect, when, on finding that Sylph, who 

 had had a very hard day, so soon after her illness at Fort 

 Riley, was very tired and unable to continue the pace, I 



