334 



BUFFALO LAND. 



father having lost several Beconda in securing one 

 of his specimen-cases, and on the instant the old 

 bull that we had wounded an hour before hove in 

 sight, in full charge upon the flying entomologists. 

 As buffalo charges are short ones, he would have 

 stopped, no doubt, in a moment or so, had not Muffffs 

 and I, the only members of our party who happened 

 to have their guns at hand, opened fire on him, and 

 planted another buiret between his ribs. The effect 

 was to infuriate the old fellow tenfold, and down he 

 came careering toward us, with what I then thou<>ht 

 the most vieious expression of countenance I had 

 ever seen on a buffalo's physiognomy. 



The attack was so sudden, and the surprise so com- 

 plete, that we were most ingloriously stampeded, and 

 fell back in hot haste upon our reserves, the guide 

 and teamsters, who, we knew, would be provided with 

 weapons and in good shape to cover our retreat. The 

 sitting for which we had made such elaborate prepa- 

 rations was abruptly terminated in the manner shown 

 in the accompanying engraving. 



Fortunately for the artist, the blow originally in- 

 tended for him was delivered upon the legs of the 

 instrument. His assailant being at length dispatched, 

 the poor fellow proceeded to pick out of the ruins of 

 his property what remained that might again be use- 

 ful. He stated that his stock, as well as the subject 

 of buffalo photographing, was " rather mixed," and 

 that, if we would pay him for the damage done, he 

 would return. Next morning he left us, and thus it 

 was that science lost the projected series of valuable 

 photographic views. 



