THE BUFFALO. 221 



could not, in all probability, have found it again if I went 

 any distance away on a prairie where no mark existed by 

 which I could identify the spot. I therefore released the 

 creature, and was rewarded for my kindness by another 

 charge ; but I escaped that readily by volting to one side 

 and allowing the assailant to rush past me and get away. 



Starting out in pursuit of the runaway steed, a short 

 tramp brought me to where he wag grazing, but, on seeing 

 me, he made a defiant attempt to kick up his heels a few 

 times, and then started off; but, fortunately for me, he ran 

 toward a farmer's wagon that was passing by a short dis- 

 tance off, and the driver captured him, and held him until 

 I arrived. When I was on his back once more, I plied 

 the spurs vigorously, and received in retaliation a series 

 of buck jumps that threatened to break my spinal column. 

 After a sharp contest of fifteen minutes, he acknowledged 

 his defeat by moving onward at a smart gallop, and I was 

 soon with my companians. I found that the leader had 

 lassoed some calves, but that the others had not seen any- 

 thing to shoot at except antelopes and prairie-dogs. Wait- 

 ing until the wagon came up, in order to place the calves 

 in it, we had a good opportunity of reconnoitring the sur- 

 rounding country from a high bluff. We could see no 

 buffaloes in our immediate vicinity ; but far away, much 

 farther than we cared to go, they dotted the landscape 

 for miles in small herds. This induced us to change our 

 route, and go direct for the highest bluffs, and, after the 

 calves were stowed away in the wagon, we marched to- 

 ward them. A walk of three or four miles led us into a 

 splendid rolling prairie, over which the antelopes roamed 

 in large numbers ; and as we had few prospects of meeting 

 what we sought, we concluded to test our rifles on them. 



Taking a seat on the grass, we commenced popping away 

 at all ranges, and, if we did not hurt them much we scared 

 them a good deal, for they would stand and stare and 

 wheel, then bound away with the fleetness of a greyhound. 

 It was amusing to see the young approach us after being 

 shot at, as if they could not understand that our firing 



