A BISON JIUNT. 133 



from this dangerous ground, upon thr6e legs.. I galloped ofF to 

 him, and at my approach he wheeled around and bristled up for 

 battle ; he seemed to know perfectly well that he could' not escape 

 from me, and resolved to meet his enemy and death ;ts bravely as 

 possible. 



I found that my shot had entered him a little too far forward, 

 breaking one of his shoulders, and lodging in his breast, and from 

 his very great weight it was impossible for him to make much 

 advance upon me. As I rode up within a few paces of him, he 

 would bristle up with fury enough in his looks alone, almost to 

 annihilate me; and making one lunge at me, would fall upon his 

 neck and nose, so that I found the sagacity of my horse alone 

 em ugh to keep me out of reach of danger: and I drew from my 

 pocket my sketch-book, laid my gun across my lap, and commenced 

 taking his likeness. He stood stiffened up, and swelling with 

 awful-vengeance, which was sublime for a picture, but which he 

 could not vent upon me. I rode around him and sketched him in 

 numerous attitudes ; sometimes he would lie down, and I would 

 then sketch him ; then throw my cap at him, and rousing him on 

 his legs, rally a new expression, and sketch him again. 



In this way I added to my sketch-book some invaluable sketches 

 of this grim-visaged monster, who knew not that he was standing 

 for his likeness. 



No man on earth can imagine what is the look and expression 

 of such a subject before him as this was. I defy the world to pro- 

 duce another animal that can look so frightful as a huge buffalo 

 bull, when wounded as he was, turned round for battle, and swell- 

 ing with rage ; his eyes bloodshot, and his long shaggy mane 

 hanging to the ground, his mouth open, and his horrid rnge 

 hissing in streams of smoke and blood from his mouth and through 

 his nostrils, as he is bending forward to spring upon his assailant. 



After I had had the requisite time and opportunity for using my 

 pencil, M< Kenzie and his companions came walking their exhausted 

 horses back from the chase, and in our rear came four or five carta 

 to carry home the meat. The party met from all quarters around 

 me and my buffalo bull, whom I then shot in the head and finished 



