322 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



rider. In this way we carefully and silently marcned, until 

 within some forty or fifty rods ; when the herd discovering 

 us, wheeled and laid their course in a mass. At this instant 

 we started ! (and all must start, for no one could check the 

 fury of those steeds at that moment of excitement,) and away 

 all sailed, and over the prairie flew, in a cloud of dust which 

 was raised by their trampling hoofs. M'Kenzie was foremost 

 in the throng, and soon dashed off amidst the dust and was 

 out of sight he was after the fattest and the fastest. I 

 had discovered a huge bull whose shoulders towered above 

 the whole band, and I picked my way through the crowd to 

 get alongside of him. I went not for "meat," but for 

 trophy ; I wanted his head and horns. I dashed along through 

 the thundering mass, as they swept away over the plain, 

 scarcely able to tell whether I was on a buffalo's back or my 

 horse hit, and hooked, and jostled about, till at length 1 

 found myself alongside of my game, when I gave him a shot, 

 as I passed him. I saw guns flash in several directions about 

 me, but I heard them not. Amidst the trampling throng, 

 Mons. Chardon had wounded a stately bull, and at this mo- 

 ment was passing him again with his piece levelled for another 

 shot ; they were both at full speed and I also, within the 

 reach of the muzzle of my gun, when the bull instantly 

 turned and received the horse upon his horns, the ground 

 received poor Chardon, who made a frog's leap of some twenty 

 yards or more over the bull's back, and almost under my 

 horse's heels. I wheeled my horse as soon as possible and 

 rode back, where lay poor Chardon, gasping to start his 

 breath again ; and within a few paces of him his huge victim, 

 with his heels high in the air, and the horse lying across him. 

 I dismounted instantly, but Chardon was raising himself on 

 his hands, with his eyes and mouth full of dirt, and feeling 

 for his gun, which lay about thirty feet in advance of him. 

 " Heaven spare you ! are you hurt, Chardon ?" " Hi hie 

 hie hie hie no hie no 



