242 The Wilderness Hunter. 



ward to the top of the rise. As they reached it, they 

 stopped short in terror and amazement, for before them 

 the whole prairie was black with madly rushing buffaloes. 



Afterward they learned that another couple of hunt- 

 ers, four or five miles off, had fired into and stampeded 

 a large herd. This herd, in its rush, gathered others, all 

 thundering along together in uncontrollable and increas- 

 ing panic. 



The surprised hunters were far away from any broken 

 ground or other place of refuge, while the vast herd of 

 huge, plunging, maddened beasts was charging straight 

 down on them not a quarter of a mile distant. Down 

 they came ! thousands upon thousands, their front ex- 

 tending a mile in breadth, while the earth shook beneath 

 their thunderous gallop, and, as they came closer, their 

 shaggy frontlets loomed dimly through the columns of 

 dust thrown up from the dry soil. The two hunters knew 

 that their only hope for life was to split the herd, which, 

 though it had so broad a front, was not very deep. If 

 they failed they would inevitably be trampled to death. 



Waiting until the beasts were in close range, they 

 opened a rapid fire from their heavy breech-loading rifles, 

 yelling at the top of their voices. For a moment the re- 

 sult seemed doubtful. The line thundered steadily down 

 on them ; then it swayed violently, as two or three of the 

 brutes immediately in their front fell beneath the bullets, 

 while their neighbors made violent efforts to press off side- 

 ways. Then a narrow wedge-shaped rift appeared in the 

 line, and widened as it came closer, and the buffaloes, 

 shrinking from their foes in front, strove desperately to 



