166 TEN DAYS IN MONTANA. 



the one they were in, hoping to pass and get to leeward jf 

 them before they should scent us. 



Occasionally we rode cautiously up the ridge and peered 

 over to keep the lay of the land, but before we could get 

 favorable ground on which to make the crossing they winded 

 us, sure enough, and started at full speed for the bad lands, 

 which at this point were but two miles away. Then we con- 

 cluded to try speed with them, although they had the start by 

 a long stretch, so, dropping back over the ridge that our pres- 

 ence might not unnecessarily frighten them, we spurred our 

 ponies and the race began. We hoped to be able to head 

 them off before they reached the bad lands and turn them 

 back in the direction of our comrades. After covering the 

 two miles we wheeled to the right, fully expecting to find 

 ourselves ahead and to charge the bulls ; but, alas ! we had 

 sadly overestimated the speed of our ponies or underesti- 

 mated that of the bison, for when we reached the top of the 

 ridge there stood the eight old monarchs on the top of 

 another ridge still ahead of us. They were masters of the 

 situation. They were on the very brink of the bad landsj. 

 whither they seemed to know we could not follow them. 

 They were drawn up in line like so many knights of old, as if 

 determined to resist our further advance, even to the death. 

 As they stood there facing us, frowning down upon us with 

 disdainful, majestic mien, their mammoth forms outlined 

 against the gray, misty clouds, they loomed up like distant 

 mountains. They seemed to bid us defiance. No artist could 

 ever do that picture justice. We did not fire at them, as we 

 knew it would be useless while they stood with their heads 

 toward us. The only effective shot at a buffalo, generally 

 speaking, is a broadside. We wheeled again, rode round a 

 neighboring butte in hope? of getting a broadside at them 

 yet, but when we again came in si^ht of where we left them 



