470 Ifcfhss of the 1Rofc, 1Rffle t an& (Bun 



and we came up at three parts speed alongside the bulls, 

 though he swerved from them infinitely further than I 

 desired. But for the rein and heel he would have gone 

 clean away. . . . Oh ! what an exciting wild sight it was, 

 thus close up with them, to see these thirty black rusty 

 monsters, flying two or three abreast, or else close in each 

 other's wake the last old bull (generally the king of 

 the herd) leering out from side to side beneath either 

 horn, as much as to say to the pursuer, ' I don't like you, 

 and I am retreating ; but just you get into my way, that's 

 all, and then see what I'll do.' ... As Bayard seemed 

 to be holding back for me, I called out to him to go at 

 the bull, when Bayard, on his steady, nice horse, ran 

 alongside, and with his heavy revolver, slightly struck 

 the bull, but not in a spot to stop him. The bull then 

 became mischievous, and prone to charge anything that 

 came in his way of this he made both Bayard and 

 myself well aware and as bisons often do, when stricken 

 or in a fighting humour, he took no more notice of the 

 direction of his herd, but went away sulkily by himself. . 

 I shot at him without effect. . . . 



We now came to a creek that intersected the plains, 

 down the steep bank of which the buffalo went in the 

 oddest and most reckless way I ever saw, getting a 

 complete somersault into the water at the bottom. 

 Bayard and myself then halted on the brink of the creek, 

 and waited for a steadier shot at the bull as he climbed 

 the other side. Bayard fired with his revolver, at a 

 long distance for that weapon, and I got my second shot, 

 and saw that it took effect in a slanting direction on the 

 back of the bison. We then rode over the creek, and 



