58 CANADIAN NIGHTS 



concluded to come right back." " Oh Lord," I 

 said ; '' the game all scared off, is it ? what an 

 infernal nuisance ! it does not look a very cheerful 

 country to ride about in without plenty of game 

 to 'liven one up." " Never you mind about deer 

 and elk," cried Jack ; " you have no call to worry 

 about that ; we will find game enough if you can 

 hit them; you think the prairie don't look cheer- 

 ful, eh ! Well it does seem kind of dismal, don't 

 it, this time of year. Ah ! " he added enthusi- 

 astically, " but you should see it in the summer, 

 when the grass is all green, and the flowers is all 

 ablowing, and the little birdies is a building of 

 their nestles and boohooing around, and the deer 

 are that fat they will scarcely trouble to get out of 

 the way ; and as to eating, they are just splendid, 

 immense ! I tell you ; ain't they, Bill ? " " Yes, 

 sir, you bet your boots they are. But come on. 

 Jack ; let's fork our ponies and skin out for the 

 fort ; we don't want to stop here all night, anyhow. 

 Good night, gentlemen ; we will see you in the 

 morning and fix that hunt all right, I guess." 

 And so Buffalo Bill and Texas Jack '' fork their 

 ponies and skin out," while we bundle ourselves 

 into the wagon and rattle off as fast as six 

 seventeen hands high mules can tear to the 



