CAMPING WITH COMANCHES 259 



white men whom I knew. Two Englishmen, 

 one of whom wore a title, showed me little bell 

 punches each click of which recorded the death 

 of a buffalo which was then left on the ground 

 to rot. 



While the game was on I stalked and shot 

 several buffalo bulls which excepting in one in- 

 stance was devoid of sporting interest. 



On that occasion I was crawling through the 

 grass toward a fine bull which was feeding alone 

 on the prairie. The great beast was watchful. 

 I had to lie low and was creeping slowly toward 

 him when my ears were filled with the loud warn- 

 ing of a diamond back whose head waved grace- 

 fully before my face almost or quite within strik- 

 ing distance. The time that it took me to back 

 slowly out of reach of the horrible thing is not 

 measured in my memory by minutes but presents 

 itself as an indefinite period of dreadful sus- 

 pense. 



When I felt safe I made a wide detour and 

 soon was within fair range of the buffalo which 

 was then standing broadside to me. Resting 



