DISTURBING THE GAME. 305 



the robe, and we commenced our march after the other 

 waggons. 



As we expected from what Major Martin had heard 

 and I had seen, the whole line of march had been dis 

 turbed by Mr Canterall, and we saw no game of any 

 kind that we had a chance of having time to approach, 

 one large herd of buffaloes so far off that we could just 

 distinguish what they were was all that came within our 

 observation. We then overtook the other waggons, and 

 reached, just at dark, our camping-ground at Chapman's 

 Creek; and when I asked Mr Canterall what he had 

 been doing, he swore he had only shot at buffalo close 

 to the line of march, and that he had killed two, but as 

 he could show me neither tongue nor tail, of course it 

 was a lie. The men and Mr Canterall had killed a 

 buffalo on the line of march, and that was all. I then 

 told the fellow that the pony was evidently tired to 

 death, that I had seen him riding after a bull, and that 

 it was totally impossible to believe a word he said. 



At dinner Bayard informed me that he intended to 

 ride on to the fort next morning, about two o'clock, a.m., 

 so as to precede our arrival by many hours ; his excuse 

 was that his time of leave was up, but I am now sure 

 that the kind motive which took him away so early was 

 to provide an entertainment for me. I had received an 

 invitation to rest as long as I liked, on my return to the 

 fort, at the quarters of Major and Mrs Martin, and also 

 at my former kind entertainers, those of Major and Mrs 

 Wassells, when, on finding that Major Wassells would 

 be absent on a court-martial, I accepted Major Martin's 

 proposal, supposing, too, that from Major Wassell's ab 

 sence it might be inconvenient to his lady to entertain me 



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