Caribou 145 



gone, are most of the skulls that one sees here now. 

 Not a buffalo, at the present day, is to be found 

 north of the river, and they are ranging farther and 

 farther southward every year, and will soon become 

 as scarce as their European representatives. 



' Almost oppressed by the utter silence of the 

 prairie, a silence unbroken at this time of year, even 

 by the chirping of the smallest cricket, I was glad 

 enough to see the bright camp fires with the dark 

 shadows flitting around them, and to hear the jingle 

 and stamp of the horses and mules at picket. A 

 light supper and in we turn ; not, however, without 

 posting sentinels as carefully as if we were in an 

 enemy's country, which, indeed, we are, as those poor 

 fellows camped just below us will find out before 

 eight hours are over. 



' Up in the morning's no for me, 

 Up in the morning early ! ' 



No, sir ! not if I can help it — but I can't. So in 

 the dusk, with the dark forms of the sentinels just 

 visible against the light of the coming dawn, we 

 saddle, and are soon riding away towards the next 

 fork of the great river. 



' Hunting begins at once, though we are still too 

 near the Fort to expect any great amount of game. 

 Spreading out on each flank in two parties of three 

 (a professional hunter, a soldier, and an amateur), we 

 manage to sight game, and if not to kill it, at least 

 to have a glorious gallop after it. For the essence 



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