JEFFERSON BRICKS AGAIN. 301 



by which, according to their own account, or according to 

 the account of "Boz," " by which the bubbling passions of 

 their country find a vent," had described me as having 

 had what they vulgarly called the " buck-fever," and 

 " failed with the larger game." No sooner did I refer to 

 this chase, done in the presence of witnesses, as a very 

 palpable means to refute their aspersions, than by the same 

 " means or vent for the escape of the bubbling passions of 

 their country" out rushed no end of bubbles in the shape 

 of riled men, all claiming long ago to have done the same 

 thing, and not only fairly ridden down an unwounded 

 bison, but to have slain him with a pistol. Had I said 

 that I had ended the chase with death by a pistol, I have 

 no doubt they would have claimed the bow and arrow ; 

 and had I described that as my weapon, they would have 

 asserted a popgun. Men and men who knew what they 

 were saying told me that thus to run down a bull was 

 impossible ; I have shown that it was not so, and I have 

 quite made up my mind that, if a hunter can afford to 

 take so much out of a good horse, and quality not the 

 quantity of sport is to be considered, the most sporting 

 and graceful way to kill a huge and powerful bull in his 

 prime I don't include worn-out animals is to ride him 

 to bay and then to kill him. 



I had hunted over the grounds of the Kaws, who are 

 not a wild tribe, and over those of the Kiowas, the Chey- 

 ennes, and the Arapahoos, who are wild at least so my 

 friends informed me ; and now, alas ! the hour was 

 approaching when from Fort Riley the heads of my mules 

 were to be turned towards home, and I should have to 

 select the best line of prairies to afford me sport with deer, 

 wolf, turkey, and wild-fowl, till I reached the " settled-up 

 country." To go further into the Far West was not 



