110 IN THE OLD WEST 



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 were well covered with shaking flesh. Whilst 

 leisurely cropping the short curly grass, he oc- 

 casionally lifted his tail into the air, and stamped 

 his foot as a fly or mosquito annoyed him — flap- 

 ping the intruder with his tail, or snatching at 

 the itching part with his ponderous head. 



When La Bonte had sufiiciently admired the 

 bufl^alo, he lifted his rifle, and, taking steady aim, 

 and certain of his mark, pulled the trigger, ex- 

 pecting to see the huge beast fall over at the re- 

 port. What was his surprise and consternation, 

 however, 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 high, igno- 

 rant that the only certain spot to strike a bufl*alo 

 is but a few inches above the brisket, and that a 

 higher shot is rarely fatal. When he rose from 

 the ground he saw all the party halting in full 

 view of his discomfiture; and when he joined them, 

 loud were the laughs, and deep the regrets of the 

 hungry at his first attempt. 



However, they now knew that they were in the 

 country of meat ; and a few miles farther, another 



