IN THE FAR WEST. 187 



acted upon, however, and we wended our way in an opposite 

 direction. 



On reaching the top of a bluff we espied a large herd 

 grazing in a ravine, and to be sure this time that our labour 

 was not in vain, we dashed across an intervening plain, crawled 

 slowly up the declivity of the ravine, and when we reached 

 the summit found that we were actually right on the herd. 

 We dashed at it promptly as it tore away in a solid mass, 

 and in a few moments our leader and the best mounted of 

 the party were ranged alongside it and firing away for dear 

 life. The experienced hunters cut off the rear guard and 

 turned it to the right, but I followed the main column and 

 tried to get a shot, but my famous runner would not take me 

 close enough to enable me to shoot with any degree of accu- 

 racy. Seeing no other resource left, I threw the reins on his 

 neck and commenced banging away at the herd, in hopes that I 

 might wound one, but though watching closely I could not even 

 tell where the bullets went. My steed decidedly helped me 

 in this ill-luck, for as soon as he ceased to be directed by the 

 reins he swerved away at right angles, and in a few moments 

 carried me beyond rifle range. I was so furious that I felt 

 like killing him ; but I thought better of it, and turned back 

 towards my party with feelings of shame and disgust. I had 

 not proceeded more than a hundred yards before an old bull 

 with a splendid head came rolling out of a ravine, with a gait 

 not unlike that of a sailor on shore, and attempted to cross my 

 front. I fired at him and planted a bullet in his shaggy fore- 

 head ; but it had no effect upon him, apparently, for he kept up 

 his swinging gallop at the same speed. I then started in 

 pursuit, and commenced firing away, in hopes that I might 

 give him a wound that would cause him to halt, as I had no 

 confidence in the pace of my horse, but before I fired the third 

 shot the bullet got jammed in the Winchester rifle which I 

 carried, and no amount of pushing and "cussing" could ex- 

 tricate it, so I was compelled to halt to get it out. When 

 I turned my attention from the gun to the bull I saw him 

 disappearing over a bluff, while my horse was going direct for 

 home. Oh ! how I blessed that buffalo-runner and the man 



