58 THE BISON. 



at once start off at such a rate, that we should never be 

 .able to come up with them. So the hunter's plan, 

 being warmly approved by the Colonel, an old hand 

 at the sport, we fell back as quickly as possible, and 

 were soon hidden from the quickest-sighted bull of 

 the herd, though we had much more to fear from the 

 noses of the animals. Three-quarters of an hour 

 brought us to the proper spot for charging, as the 

 distance from swell to swell was not very great. 



The final preparations were then made. Each man 

 dismounted, looked to his saddle-girths, shortened his 

 stirrup-leathers by a couple of holes, and having 

 loosened the thong of stout buckskin, which served as a 

 curb to the bit of his bridle, fastened his sombrero to 

 his saddle, so that its broad brim should not flap in his 

 face, and in its place bound a pocket-handkerchief 

 round his temples to screen his head from the sun ; for 

 though we dwellers in the South are less liable, from 

 the thinness of our blood, to attacks of sun-stroke than 

 dwellers in more northern lands, it is as well to protect 

 the head as much as possible from the hot rays which 

 begin to make their power felt almost as soon as the 

 sun rises above the horizon. Last of all, the weapons — 

 rifles and pistols — were carefully inspected, and with 

 the greatest anxiety we waited the signal to charge the 

 herd. 



' Are you all ready ? ' asked the Colonel. 



' All right ! ' was the response from every man. 



