AND OTHER HUNTING ADVENTURES. 229 



They turned their horses' heads partly in the 

 direction the buffaloes were going and, urging them 

 to'their utmost speed, finally passed the outer line 

 of the herd just as the leaders passed by. Then, 

 having reached a place of safety, they dismounted, 

 and throwing their bridle reins over their arms com- 

 menced to load and fire into the herd with all possi- 

 ble rapidity, nearly every shot killing or disabling 

 an animal. It took nearly half an hour for the rolling, 

 surging, angry horde to pass the point where our 

 hunters stood, and as the rear guard came in sight 

 there came a new and still more terrible scene in the 

 great tragedy. 



More than a hundred Indians were in hot pursuit 

 of the savage beasts. , They were mounted on wild 

 and almost ungovernable bronchos, who were froth- 

 ing at the mouth, charging and cavorting amongst 

 the fleeing game. The white foam dropped in flakes 

 and bubbles from all parts of their bodies. Their 

 nostrils were distended, their eyes flashed fire, and 

 they seemed as eager as their wild masters to 

 deal death to the buffaloes. The savage riders 

 seemed beside themselves with mad, ungovernable 

 passion. 



Their faces were painted in the most glaring colors, 

 their bright and many -colored blankets fluttered in 

 the wind secured to the saddle only by an end or a 

 corner, their long black hair streaming back like the 

 pennant at the mast head of a ship, and their deep 

 black eyes gleamed like coals of fire in a dungeon. 

 Arrow after arrow flew from deep -strung bows and 

 sunk to the feathered tip in the quivering flesh of 

 the shaggy monsters. 



