XXV 



THE BUFFALO — continued 



SOME months later, and many hundreds of miles 

 farther south, Billy and I found ourselves alone 

 with twenty men, and two weeks to pass until C. — 

 our companion at the time — should return from a 

 long journey out with a wounded man. By slow 

 stages, and relaying back and forth, we landed in a 

 valley so beautiful in every way that we resolved to 

 stay as long as possible. This could be but five 

 days at most. At the end of that time we must start 

 for our prearranged rendezvous with C. 



The valley was in the shape of an ellipse, two sides 

 of which were formed by great clifflike mountains, 

 and the other two by hills lower, but still of con- 

 siderable boldness and size. The longest radius was 

 perhaps six or eight miles, and the shortest three or 

 four. At one end a canon dropped away to a lower 

 level, and at the other a pass in the hills gave over 

 to the country of the Narossara River. The name 

 of the valley was Lengeetoto. 



From the great mountains flowed many brooks 

 348 



