22 ON THE FRONTIER. 



dark green clumps and clusters of the trees upon its banks, 

 anon showing flashes of sparkling water. But where was 

 the valley ? The bluffs we had expected to see opposite to 

 us were vanished. From the further edge of the river a 

 grassy plain extended to the far horizon. We were looking 

 west, and the sinking August sun, shining full in our faces, 

 threw a gorgeous flood of colour to our very feet, tinging the 

 grass with purple and gold, throwing a halo of glory round 

 the tree-tops, and a blaze of crimson on the water. 



But what were those few dark specks in the middle ground, 

 the small masses farther off, that dark line on the horizon ? 

 Each man's hand was to his forehead shading his eyes as he 

 took a close scrutiny. With one accord, and with a wild 

 " hurrah ! " every hat was flung into the air. 



"Buffaloes at last ! and heading straight to us." 



But it was no time for fooling, for we had to be down off 

 that bluff before dark, or stop there all night with no water 

 to drink or cook supper with, which meant nothing to eat ; 

 so two horsemen started, one right and another left, to 

 discover a practicable descent. An old buffalo pass was 

 found a couple of miles off, and we reached the Republican 

 river again without misadventure. 



When darkness fell the regular concert we had nightly 

 been enjoying for some time received a most important 

 addition ; new and distinguished performers were at hand. 

 We had early become accustomed to the cheering nightly 

 howls of the sportive coyote ; then to an obligate accompani- 

 ment thereto by the burrowing owls, who tooted with great 

 impartiality in every hour of the night ; latterly the fox 

 with his sharp yap-yap, the wild cat with her Scotch 



