52 THE BISON. 



long since passed middle age, and is a great authority 

 on all matters connected with the luar-path or the 

 chase. 



He places an arrow on his bowstring, which he draws 

 back till the ends of the strong weapon nearly meet. 

 The arrow speeds its way, crashes through a broad rib 

 through the huge body, and buries its head at least 

 six inches in the turf. A rifle-bullet would not have 

 forced such a passage through the bison's body ; and 

 the huge animal at once topples over, and dies by the 

 side of the blood-stained shaft. 



Another Indian sweeps by in hot chase of a furious 

 bison. His arrow speeds, and quivers in the animal's 

 side. A frown flits across the hunter's face. He presses 

 his horse alongside the bull ; leans over and plucks the 

 ineffectual shaft from the wound. Again he fits it to 

 the string, and this time buries it in the body of his 

 quarry. 



There may be seen two monster bisons closely 

 followed by a pair of hunters, each anxious to outvie 

 the other. One is an elderly man, with, stern cold 

 features, while the other is a young man in the prime 

 of life and vigour. 



On they press; the younger anxious to have the 

 first shot at the shaggy game, and so earn a fame as 

 great as that of his rival. He presses both legs to the 

 sides of his steed, fixes his arrow, but in his excite- 

 ment and hurry inflicts only a trifliog wound. The 



