IN THE FAR WEST. 185 



lie made a defiant attempt to kick up his heels a few times, 

 then started off; but, fortunately for me, he ran towards a 

 farmer's waggon that was passing by a short distance off, and 

 the driver captured him, and held him until I arrived. When 

 I was on his back once more I plied the spurs vigorously, and 

 received in retaliation a series of buck jumps that threatened 

 to break my spinal column. After a sharp contest of fifteen 

 minutes he acknowledged his defeat by moving onwards at 

 a smart gallop, and I was soon with my companions. I 

 found that the leader had lassoed some calves, but that the 

 others had not seen anything except antelopes and prairie 

 dogs. Waiting until the waggon came up, in order to place 

 the calves in it, we had a good opportunity of reconnoitring 

 the surrounding country from a high bluff. We could see no 

 buffaloes in our immediate vicinity, but far away, much further 

 than we cared to go, they dotted the landscape for miles in 

 small herds. This induced us to change our route, and 

 go direct for the highest bluffs, and after the calves were 

 stowed away in the waggon we marched towards them. A walk 

 of three or four miles led us into a splendid rolling prairie 

 over which the antelopes roamed in large numbers, and as we 

 had few prospects of meeting what we sought, we concluded 

 to test our rifles on them. 



Taking a seat on the grass, we commenced popping away 

 at all ranges, and if we did not hurt them much we 

 scared them a good deal, for they would stand and stare and 

 wheel, then bound away with the fleetness of a greyhound. It 

 was amusing to see the young approach us after being shot at, 

 as if thev could not understand that our firms 1 meant danger, 



%, o " 



or else they were so blind that they could not see us while 

 lying still, for motion seems to be one of the necessary condi- 

 tions to their recognition of objects. 



While amusing ourselves in this manner, one of our party 

 noticed a number of trupials hastening past us, and he an- 

 nounced the event by jumping up suddenly and shouting, 

 " I say, boys ; there's buffaloes round yere somewhere, for 

 there go the buffalo birds ; so we'd better be off." His sug- 

 gestion was acted upon at once, and a few moments later wo 



