236 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



flanks and firing away, raking him forward with every shot. 

 He made two efforts to charge, but the mustang was too 

 quick for him, and before he could wheel about we were 

 out of his way. At the fourth shot he faltered for a few 

 moments, swayed on his legs like a drunken man, then fell 

 on his horns all in a lump. He was down only a short 

 time, however, before he arose, and spreading his legs apart 

 to steady himself, looked at me in the most frightfully fe- 

 rocious manner that it is possible for an animal to assume. 

 I saw that he was beyond all power for harm, however, for 

 the blood was flowing from his nose and mouth, and his 

 head was lowered ; and, on noting this, I halted a few feet 

 from him, and gazed at his ponderous proportions and im- 

 potent rage with a certain degree of fascination, for he was 

 as perfect a picture of malignant ferocity as it is possible 

 to conceive. His eyes were bloodshot, and of a glowing 

 reddish-emerald hue ; his mouth w r as open, and crimsoned 

 with his life's fluid; and fury seemed to hiss out of his 

 nostrils in streams of smoke and blood. His bearing was 

 as defiant as his looks were revengeful, and he stood there 

 an immovable living statue, for he was unable to advance 

 or retreat. In a few minutes, however, his mien changed 

 from that of a desire to annihilate a person to one of pain 

 and weakness ; and, after swaying and staggering for five 

 or six seconds, he fell over dead. After marking his posi- 

 tion, I rode on, mentally resolving to use a rifle of large 

 calibre the next time I went after buffaloes; for I had 

 come to the conclusion that a person could do better shoot- 

 ing with it, or at least more destructive work, than with a 

 revolver, while it would also enable one to keep beyond 

 charging distance. 



After travelling a couple of miles I met a number of our 

 party, who were wandering about, like myself, in search of 

 experience and sport rather than hides and meat. 'Joining 

 company, we moved toward the south, and in the course of 

 twenty minutes reached a knoll that gave us a commanding 

 view of a large portion of the surrounding country. We 

 had been there only a short time before we noticed an im- 



