LOST. 39 



manoeuvre round and through the outlying bands of them, 

 and get to where we could pick and choose from out the 

 main bodies. That day we charged into a mass of animals, 

 cut out a fine cow and calf, and after a short and sharp run 

 finished them off, and the choice pieces were " fleeced " from 

 the carcasses and packed on our horses. 



When we left camp, the weather was bright and 

 cloudless, with a light breeze from the west. But a change 

 had occurred ; the air had become still, perfectly still ; the 

 blue above had changed to a dull gray ; a small rain had 

 begun to fall, kept falling, thicker, and in larger drops ; 

 every minute our horizon got smaller and smaller ; one 

 monotonous jumble of prairie rolls, hillocks and hollows 

 surrounded us : not a gleam from the sun showed where lie 

 was ; the ground was covered with short grama grass, and 

 110 friendly " compass-weed " was there to give us our 

 direction. 



Where was camp ? 



We tried taking the heel of our track ; no go. It had 

 been crossed and recrossed innumerable times by the buffa- 

 loes whose flanks we had turned in the morning's stalk ; it 

 had been utterly obliterated. We had stalked our game 

 with many a twist and curve, cut them out at right angles 

 from their herd, followed them in their many turns and 

 doubles. We could not tell where we I mean where camp 



was. Each asked the other why the mischief he had 



not got his pocket compass with him ! 



A bright idea ! The natural sagacity of our horses 

 would bring us out all right. Nothing like the instincts of 

 nature. 



