THE BUFFALO. 235 



four chambers of the revolver in their midst. This caused 

 them to scatter in a hurry ; but I had the satisfaction of 

 killing one and hitting another before they could get away. 

 I slung the slain animal on my saddle, but allowed the 

 wounded one to escape, as I did not wish to run my horse 

 too much. Wolves of both species were quite common, 

 and were feeding on dead buffaloes ; but they did not dare 

 go near the one on which my handkerchief was placed, 

 their bump of cautiousness being too great to approach 

 any strange object for fear it might mean danger to their 

 physical welfare. 



Soon after I had taken the brush of my first bull the 

 wagons came up, and the drivers commenced loading them 

 with heads and hides ; but they only took the best portions 

 of the meat. After pointing out to them the route the 

 hunters had taken, I started off to rejoin the remainder of 

 the party ; but I had not proceeded far before I met a soli- 

 tary old bull in a dry ravine, and, judging by his looks, he 

 must have been a veteran indeed; for his head was cov- 

 ered with dense masses of hair, his horns were split and 

 pointless, and the scars on his nose and hams showed that 

 he had had many a contest with wolves. He did not see 

 or wind me until I was fairly upon him, for the sight of the 

 buffalo at the best is comparatively feeble ; but when once 

 he recognized my presence he bolted away at a good swing- 

 ing gallop, which forced my horse to put on a good spurt 

 to overtake him. When I ranged along-side him I fired at 

 his spinal column ; but the bullet striking him lower down, 

 he no sooner felt its sting than he wheeled abruptly and 

 charged me, and, before I could get safely away, he gave 

 the mustang an upward raking blow in the flanks that 

 scraped away some of the skin and brought the blood. 

 This caused my steed to bound off at his best pace, and 

 we were soon beyond his reach. Had his horn not been 

 blunt, he would, no doubt, have seriously injured him, or 

 perhaps killed us both. After running a short distance, I 

 wheeled back, and set out after the assailant, which was 

 making fast tracks over the prairie, and was soon at his 



