104 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



firearm and then the other, and blazed away without 

 once drawing blood. Finally the buck deliberately 

 moved over the hill and out of sight, while the man 

 swore that it had a charmed life. We thought oth- 

 erwise, however, and the boys followed it; soon re- 

 turning with it swinging from a gun, which they 

 carried on their shoulders like a pole. 



I recall another ludicrous incident connected with 

 this expedition. We happened to be at Buffalo Sta- 

 tion once when Professor Snow, the much-loved 

 Kansas naturalist, and at one time the chancellor of 

 the State University, was in town with a large party 

 of students, on his annual insect hunt. 



The old Chisholm cattle trail led through Buffalo, 

 and one day the owner of a large herd of Texas 

 cattle, who was passing through, noticed Professor 

 Snow and his party out on the prairie with their 

 nets in their hands, running about as if possessed. 

 It happened to be the first time that he had ever 

 seen insect collectors at work, and his curiosity was 

 aroused. 



"What are those men doing?" he asked Jim 

 Thompson, the storekeeper. 



" Catching bugs," was the laconic reply. 



" I don't believe it," said the cowman. " They 

 are grown men." 



" All right," said Jim, " you can find out for 

 yourself if you want to." 



