THE BISON, OR BUFFALO. 289 



What was it ? Deers, coyotes, antelopes or buf- 

 falo ? No one knew. I cocked the rille which I 

 had borrowed of Mr. Mead, and awaited the 

 result. Suddenly, in the open space before us 

 appeared about twenty buffaloes, rushing madly 

 on with such impetuosity that we could hear the 

 snapping of the branches which they broke down 

 n their course. Unfortunately they were all far 

 off, and it was impossible to take aim with any 

 chance of success. I began to fear that the herd 

 would escape us altogether, when I saw a splendid 

 biill buffalo within about fifteen paces of me 

 trotting along slowly, and dragging one of his legs 

 with considerable difficulty. I took aim and waited 

 a moment to see what was the matter, when a 

 magnificent panther appeared giving chase to the 

 buffalo. Nothing could be finer than the appear- 

 ance of this great feline of the North ; with head 

 erect and eyes shining like live coals, it bounded 

 after its victim, roaring fiercely, and getting closer 

 to its prey with every bound. It was a splendid 

 spectacle for us to see these noble brutes, both of 

 whose lives were now fairly in our hands. I was 

 just going to fire on the panther, when, with a 

 tremendous bound, it alighted on the back of the 

 buffalo, and both rolled over on the ground, the 

 one holding on like grim death, and the other 

 doing its best to shake off its deadly foe. The 

 panther had fastened on the wound already made, 



