138 HUNTING TRIPS 



we came to a canyon which ran across our 

 path, and followed along its brink for a 

 mile to find a place where we could get into 

 it; when we finally found such a place, we 

 had to back the horses down to the bottom 

 and then lead them along it for some 

 hundred yards before finding a break 

 through which we could climb out 



It was late in the afternoon before we 

 saw any game; then we made out in the 

 middle of a large plain three black specks, 

 which proved to be buffalo old bulls. Our 

 horses had come a good distance, under a 

 hot sun, and as they had had no water ex- 

 cept from the mud-hole in the morning they 

 were in no condition for running. They 

 were not very fast anyhow; so, though the 

 ground was unfavorable, we made up our 

 minds to try to creep up to the buffalo. We 

 left the ponies in a hollow half a mile from 

 the game, and started off on our hands and 

 knees, taking advantage of every sage- 

 li as cover. After a while we had to 

 lie flat on our bodies and wriggle like 



