LIFE IN THE FAR WEST. 119 



eyes glaring fiercely at his tormentors, and flakes of foam, 

 mixed with blood, dropping from his mouth over his long 

 shaggy beard. La Bonte was transfixed ; he scarcely dared 

 to breathe, lest the animal should be alarmed and escape. 

 Weak as it was, he could hardly have followed it, and, 

 knowing that his own and companion's life hung upon the 

 success of his shot, he scarcely had strength to raise his 

 rifle. By dint of extraordinary exertions and precautions 

 which were totally unnecessary, for the poor old bull 

 had not a move in him the hunter approached within 

 shot. Lying upon the ground, he took a long steady aim, 

 and fired. The buffalo raised its matted head, tossed it 

 wildly for an instant, and, stretching out its limbs convul- 

 sively, turned over on its side and was dead. 



Killbuck heard the shot, and, crawling from under the 

 little shanty which covered his bed, saw, to his astonish- 

 ment, La Bonte" in the act of butchering a buffalo within 

 two hundred yards of camp. " Hurraw for you ! " he 

 faintly exclaimed; and exhausted by the exertion he had 

 used, and perhaps by the excitement of an anticipated 

 feast, fell back and fainted. 



However, the killing was the easiest matter, for when 

 the huge carcass lay dead upon the ground, our hunter had 

 hardly strength to drive the blade of his knife through the 

 tough hide of the old patriarch. Then, having cut off as 

 much of the meat as he could carry, eating the while 

 sundry portions of the liver, which he dipped in the gall- 

 bladder by way of relish, La Bonte cast a wistful look upon 

 the half-starved wolves, who now loped round and round, 

 licking their chops, only waiting until his back was turned 

 to fall to with appetite equal to his own, and capabilities of 

 swallowing and digesting far superior. La Bonte looked 

 at the buffalo and then at the wolves, levelled his rifle and 

 shot one dead, at which the survivor scampered off without 

 delay. 



Arrived at camp, packing in a tolerable load of the best 

 part of the animal for hunger lent him strength he found 

 poor Killbuck lying on his back, deaf to time, and to all ap- 

 pearance gone under. Having no sal- volatile or vinaigrette 



