304 ALARMED AT ME BA YARD'S ABSENCE. 



buffalo, and was, in direct contravention of his orders, 

 disturbing the ground. I had not long sat on a gently 

 rising eminence, talking to Major Martin and Willie, 

 when, from the hills over which our waggons had for 

 some time disappeared, we saw a single buffalo descend 

 in our direction in such guise as proved him to have 

 been disturbed. Having caught up my rifle, on seeing 

 that he held his way for the creek above us, I ran to 

 meet him, and having attained a spot that seemed to be 

 in his line, I lay down beside the bank of the creek 

 itself, and on a bison path. The bull for a time kept on 

 towards me, when, to my indignation, just over the 

 brow of the hill behind him, I saw that unmitigated 

 rascal Mr Canterall on my poor little pony. It seemed 

 that, as soon as I saw him, he feared, too, that he should 

 be seen, for had the bull turned at him he could not 

 have pulled up shorter, nor rode away faster, than he 

 did when he found himself unexpectedly in sight of the 

 camping ground, and very likely within long reach of 

 my rifle. The bull also turned away, and I went back 

 to Major Martin and told him what I had seen. Feeling 

 uneasy at Bayard's prolonged delay, mounting Sylph, 

 and taking my carbine, I rode a considerable distance to 

 a rising ground which had command not only of the 

 camp but over the vista of plains, in the undulating 

 grounds of which I knew Mr Bayard to be, so that I 

 should gain any tidings of his approach, and be able too 

 to signal to the camp if I saw anything to call for 

 further aid. After waiting some time, I was delighted 

 to make out the right number of specks coming to 

 wards me, which answered to Bayard and his two 

 men; and by noon Mr Bayard had rejoined us with 



