THE KING OF THE WILDS- 269 



missing him, the bullet took effect in the hock of Bayard's 

 bull, and in a few more strides the monster stopped for 

 mischief. That beautifully handy carbine was soon re 

 charged, and the next bullet went close behind the 

 elbow, and again the same, and the gigantic game fell dead. 

 When he was down, Bayard and myself stood over 

 him in admiration. He was much the finest and largest 

 animal I had seen since I had been on the prairies ; but 

 Bayard, who of course was a better judge than I was, 

 said he was the largest bull he had ever seen in his 

 life. His robe was beautifully grown in silky young 

 curls from hump to hock, while his mane, beard, and 

 shaggy fell of young black hair from withers to dewlap, 

 was the most luxurious thing that could be imagined. 

 We measured him on the spot as far as we could, and he 

 was upwards of 5 feet 8 inches from top of hoof to the 

 top of the hump, and 9 feet 6|- inches from his nose to 

 the root of his tail. The bone of his fore leg, between 

 fetlock and knee, was 11 inches in circumference. We 

 were unable to measure his girth. So beautiful wa& the 

 robe of this monarch of the Far West plains, that we 

 resolved not to spoil it by taking the meat, but if pos 

 sible to send for it from camp. We then only took the. 

 largest tongue we had ever seen, and the tail, and left 

 him, alas, for the wolves ; for when we reached camp it 

 was so late, and the distance to this buffalo so far, that 

 it was quite out of the question to attempt to recover 

 any further spoils. Mounting our horses, and following 

 in the line of the other wounded bull, an excla 

 mation from Bayard drew my attention to a black 

 mass lying in the grass before us, and we together 

 exclaimed, "Ah! ha! then, here he is ! " On reaching 

 that to which our attention had been called, there, 



