270 SPORT IN NORTH AMERICA. 



grave and mechanical deliberateness of their salu- 

 tations. 



After we had watched all these birds for some 

 time, we presently saw two enormous eagles flying in 

 our direction ; and their appearance created a ter- 

 rible commotion in the feathered republic. In a 

 moment, the two birds of prey each seized a young 

 heron and crushed it in his formidable talons ; then, 

 utterly disregardful of the reproaches of the rest, 

 they took flight again and disappeared. 



This took place so rapidly that neither my friend 

 nor myself had time to get within shot of these 

 bandits of the air. However, we afterwards got 

 within reach of the herons, and all three firing our 

 double-barrels as rapidly as possible, we bagged 

 eleven large birds. The rest took flight. 



On returning to the camp we found them all 

 packing up and ready to start ; the dogs were 

 barking and the Red Skins hurrying about in every 

 direction. 



"Come on!" cried Mead and Delmot (who had 

 stayed in camp), " we are only waiting for you." 



" What is it ?" we replied. 



" Buflalo ! Look there ! Look at that black 

 mass advancing towards us. It's the bufi"alo ! " 



As far as the sight could reach to the northward 

 there was a black line on the horizon, and this was 

 a herd of those animals browsing peacefully on the 

 herbage of the prairie. 



