TRAVEL. 61 



In October 1872 I was returning, with three English 

 gentlemen, to Fort Dodge from one of the most delight- 

 ful and successful hunts I have ever made, and during 

 which our appetites for murder had apparently been fully 

 satiated ; for, though travelling through countless throngs 

 of buffalo, we were all together with the waggons, no one 

 caring for a shot. It was our last day ; for, though we 

 could not reach the post that -night, our next day's travel 

 was to be through a country devoid of game. The prairie 

 was a general level, but much broken by shallow ravines, 

 running apparently to almost every point of the compass. 

 We stopped for lunch, during which thousands of buffalo 

 collected on every side, at 400 or 500 yards' .distance, 

 and gazed at us with stupid curiosity. 



Desirous of giving my guests one of the most exciting 

 scenes of plains life, and at the same time of securing a 

 quantity of good meat to take into my post, I selected 

 six or eight of the best men of the cavalry escort, and 

 directed them to dash at that part of the herd which was 

 in position to give us the best view of the chase, and to 

 kill as many calves as possible without making a long run. 

 Making ready, they followed a shallow ravine until within 

 200 yards of the herd, and dashed into it. 



Every man was a good rider and pistol shot, and a 

 more brilliant or animating scene of the kind I have 

 never witnessed. In ten minutes the affair was over, and 

 each man had secured from one to four fat six-months' 

 calves. 



The chase had roused all the English love of sport, 

 and long before the game was disembowelled and put in 

 the waggons my three friends were off, each for himself, in 

 rapid pursuit of some of the numerous herds. When the 

 meat was loaded, I started with the command and waggons 

 on my proper course, having no fear of these gentlemen 

 getting lost, all of them having displayed during the hunt 

 much more than a natural aptitude for plains travel. 



After an hour one joined me, covered with dust, but 



