20 HUNTING THE GRISLY. 



man on foot caught in the rush has but a 

 small chance for his life. A buffalo stampede 

 is much worse or rather was much worse, in 

 the old days because of the great weight 

 and immense numbers of the beasts, which, 

 in a fury of heedless terror, plunged over 

 cliffs and into rivers, and bore down what- 

 ever was in their path. On the occasion in 

 question, my brother and cousin were on 

 their way homeward. They were just mount- 

 ing one of the long, low swells, into which 

 the prairie was broken, when they heard a 

 low, muttering, rumbling noise, like far-off 

 thunder. It grew steadily louder, and, not 

 knowing what it meant, they hurried forward 

 to the top of the rise. As they reached it, 

 they stopped short in terror and amazement, 

 for before them the whole prairie was black 

 with madly rushing buffaloes. 



Afterward they learned that another couple 

 of hunters, four or five miles off, had fired 

 into and stampeded a large herd. This herd, 

 in its rush, gathered others, all thundering 

 along together in uncontrollable and increas- 

 ing panic. 



The surprised hunters were far away from 

 any broken ground or other place of refuge, 

 while the vast herd of huge, plunging, mad- 

 dened beasts was charging straight down on 

 them not a quarter of a mile distant. Down 

 they came I thousands upon thousands, their 

 front extending a mile in breadth, while the 

 earth shook beneath their thunderous gallop, 

 and, as they came closer, their shaggy front- 



