GREAT EXCITEMENT. 91 



of the rifles the herd of bison turned with extraordi- 

 nary swiftness and charged towards the forest, leaving 

 but one of their number behind. The animal at which 

 Pierre had fired stumbled heavily forward, recovered 

 himself, and would have followed his companions if 

 the young trapper had not given him another ball at 

 the base of the ear as he rushed past within five yards. 



Gaultier and Jake had each disappeared in pursuit 

 of their respective game, and the frequent reports of 

 the rifle of the former proved that he had brought his 

 bison to bay. A loud hurrah from him soon announced 

 his success ; and on following up the track, Pierre found 

 him seated, with his sleeves tucked up, plunging his 

 hunting-knife into the throat of the prostrate animal, 

 which still kicked with its hind legs in the throes of 

 death. 



Distant yells proclaimed that old Jake was still en- 

 gaged with his foe ; but although the cries continued, 

 the boys remarked that no shots were fired. They 

 therefore followed the sounds, which grew louder and 

 more frequent as they advanced. After a quick walk 

 of about ten minutes among the thick growth of spruces, 

 where the moonlight failed to pierce the heavy foliage, 

 they arrived at the edge of an open space, where the 

 trees had been killed either by fire or by stagnant 

 water the overflow, probably, of the Athabasca River 

 during unusually high floods. Here the ground was 

 encumbered with trees lying thickly on each other, 

 while several of the largest still stood erect, their 



