RUSTLINGS IN THE ROCKIES. 11 



Now this Rogers is a great " blow," and is always boasting 

 what he would do and how valiantly he would fight if 

 corralled by Indians; how he would stand his ground and 

 shoot any bear to death that ever roamed the mountains, 

 before he would run ; how he would not be afraid to ride 

 into a herd of buffaloes anywhere on the plains and slaughter 

 dozens of them, and would not be afraid of getting eaten up 

 by them either, and all that sort of stuff. 



On their cruise down the river, Rogers regaled Allen with 

 accounts of how he would grapple with any Indian, or other 

 wild animal, that should dare to molest them, single handed, 

 and kill or put them to rout. Yes, he was a valiant son of 

 Mars ! Well, it happened on the second day of their voyage, 

 as they were floating quietly along, they saw several old 

 buffalo bulls moving down a trail that led down the side of a 

 steep bluff, and ordinarily between the bluff and the water's 

 edge, to a point farther up the stream where it led out again. 

 But at this time the water was high and the trail at the foot 

 of the bluff was submerged. The bulls didn't discover this 

 fact until they got to the water, and then they were on a part 

 of the trail that was so narrow, and the bluff, both above and 

 below them was so precipitous, that they could not turn 

 around, leaving them no alternative but to plunge into the 

 river and swim out. 



By this time Allen and his valiant co-voyageur were along- 

 side of the bulls. Allen had the oars. " Now," said Rog- 

 ers, "when they jump into the water you run the boat right 

 in amongst them, and I'll catch one of them by the tail, pull 

 him down stream until we drown him, and we'll have some 

 fresh meat, and be darned to the guns." 



"All right!" replied Allen; "they've jumped into the 

 water, and by the great Sault Ste Marie the water is over 

 their backs. They're swimming already. Look ! they are 



