LA BONTE'S ADVENTURES. 10 ( 



One morning he had packed his animals before the rest, and 

 was riding a mile in advance of the party, when he saw on one 

 side the trail, looming in refracted glare which mirages the 

 plains, three large dark objects without shape or form, which 

 rose and fell in the exaggerated light like ships at sea. 

 Doubting what it could be, he approached the strange objects ; 

 and as the refraction disappeared before him, the dark masses 

 assumed a more distinct form, and clearly moved with life. A 

 little nearer, and he made them out they were buffalo. 

 Thinking to distinguish himself, the greenhorn dismounted 

 from his mule, and quickly hobbled her, throwing his lasso on 

 the ground to trail behind when he wished to catch her. Then, 

 rifle in hand, he approached the huge animals, and, being a 

 good hunter knew well to take advantage of the inequalities 

 of the ground, and face the wind ; by which means he crawled 

 at length to within forty yards of the buffalo, which quietly 

 cropped the grass, unconscious of danger. Now for the first 

 time, he gazed upon the noble beast he had so often heard of, 

 and longed to see. With coal-black beard sweeping the ground 

 as he fed, an enormous bull was in advance of the others, his 

 wild brilliant eyes peering from an immense mass of shaggy 

 hair, which covered his neck and shoulder. From this point 

 his skin was smooth as one's hand, a sleek and shining dun, 

 and his ribs was well covered with shaking flesh. While lei- 

 surely cropping the short curly grass he occasionally lifted 

 his tail into the air, p,nd stamped his foot as a fly or musquito 

 annoyed him flapping the intruder with his tail, or snatch- 

 ing at the itching part with his ponderous head. 



When La Bonte had sufficiently admired the buffalo, he 

 lifted his rifle, and, taking steady aim, and certain of his mark, 

 pulled the trigger, expecting to see the huge beast fall over 

 at the report. What was his surprise and consternation, how- 

 ever, to see the animal only flinch when the ball struck him, 

 and then gallop off followed by the others, apparently unhurt. 

 As is generally the case with greenhorns, he had fired too 



