208 IN THE OLD WEST 



under the little shanty which covered his bed, saw, 

 to his astonishment, La Bonte in the act of butch- 

 ering a buffalo within two hundred yards of camp. 

 " Hurraw for you ! " he faintly exclaimed ; and ex- 

 hausted by the exertion he had used, and perhaps 

 by the excitement of an anticipated feast, fell back 

 and fainted. 



However, the killing was the easiest matter, for 

 when the huge carcass lay dead upon the ground, 

 our hunter had hardly strength to drive the blade 

 of his knife through the tough hide of the old 

 patriarch. Then, having cut off as much of the' 

 meat as he could carry, eating the while sundry 

 portions of the liver, which he dipped in the gall- 

 bladder by way of relish. La Bonte cast a wistful 

 look upon the half-starved wolves, who now loped 

 round and round, licking their chops, only waiting 

 until his back was turned to fall to with appetite 

 equal to his own, and capabilities of swallowing 

 and digesting far superior. La Bonte looked at 

 the buffalo and then at the wolves, leveled his 

 rifle and shot one dead, at which the survivor 

 scampered off without delay. 



Arrived at camp, packing in a tolerable load of 

 the best part of the animal — for hunger lent him 

 strength — he found poor Killbuck lying on his 

 back, deaf to time, and to all appearance gone 

 under. Having no sal-volatile or vinaigrette at 

 hand. La Bonte flapped a lump of raw fleece into 

 his patient's face, and this instantly revived him. 



