192 THE OX FAMILY 



sufficiently he again tried running, but did not go very 

 fast and stopped occasionally to turn about and warn 

 us not to approach too near. When we saw the top of 

 the little banner-like tree far away over a rise in the 

 plain, I knew that it would soon be time to push the 

 buffalo at full speed in order to carry him in style over 

 the ridge and through the camp. I could see the top 

 of one of our ambulances near the tree and knew the 

 camp was there. There were, in addition to a number 

 of officers, several ladies in the camp, who were return- 

 ing to "the States" for the winter, and I looked for- 

 ward with much pleasure to driving the bull through 

 the camp at full speed. When a short mile away 

 we gave the animal a rest, and when he started to 

 walk we kept well away from him in order that he 

 might go slowly and be rested for the final charge, 

 which I ordered to take place as soon as the bull 

 started up the gentle slope of the hill beyond which 

 the camp was situated. We moved at a fast walk, then 

 at a trot, and as the bull started up the grade we 

 spurred our horses into a gallop, and with loud shouts 

 and waving of hats we encouraged him to do his best 

 as he started to run. 



A few hundred yards more and he would be going 

 down grade in the camp. Before the bull reached the 

 top of the ridge, however, two soldiers, who had been 

 given permission to go hunting, appeared, coming over 

 the ridge at a gallop, directly in front of our game. 

 The bull turned to the right and headed for the river. 

 I shouted to the soldiers not to shoot my buffalo, but 

 one of them was already galloping alongside of him, 

 and at the report of his rifle the great beast fell on its 



