118 SHIFT OUR CAMP. 



muddy, and we had a struggle to reach the opposite side : how- 

 ever, we sent the mules at the bank and got up halfway, when 

 they stopped and the waggon began to come back. Now we 

 were on a slope which was at an angle of 45, and going back 

 meant a total smash and a very bad time for those inside ; so, 

 shouting to them to get out and help us, Fox and I each seized 

 a wheel, and held on as I think I never held on to anything 

 in my life, so much depending on it. The others recovered 

 with marvellous rapidity from their illness, and to see them 

 jumping about you would never have believed that there was 

 anything the matter with them. The mules were staunch and 

 tried again, and this time we reached the resting-place, from 

 which the slope was more gradual. We camped about three 

 miles further up the river, in a small bend of it a capital 

 place if we were attacked, as the water was deep all round the 

 bend. The only timber was near the tent, and the men made 

 quite a little settlement, putting up a large dining-room, 

 covered with a spare tent-fly, and making benches and a table : 

 we had also a smoke-stage, hitching-bar for the horses, and 

 the two tents. 



Here the buffalo were all round us, and a large band crossed 

 the river just above the camp on the evening of our arrival ; so 



M and I crept up under the bank, so that fully a hundred 



must have passed within three yards and never scented us, the 

 wind being from them to us. It was great fun to watch some 

 of the young ones, who hesitated about going down the steep 

 bank, being butted down by the old fellows. One of these, by 

 the way, missed his blow, and nearly came on the top of us. 



I had a run on the following day after the fastest calf I ever 

 chased. I was mounted on my bolter, and though I ran the 



