IN THE FAR IVEST. 199 



After running- a short distance I wheeled back, and set out 

 after the assailant, which was making fast tracks over the 

 prairie, and was soon at his flanks and firing away, raking him 

 forward with every shot. He made two efforts to charge, but 

 the mustang was too quick for him, and before he could wheel 

 about we were out of his way. At the fourth shot he faltered 

 for a few moments, swayed on his legs like a drunken man, 

 then fell on his horns, all in a lump. He was down only a 

 short time, however, before he arose, and spreading his legs 

 apart to steady himself, looked at me in the most frightfully 

 ferocious manner that it is possible for an animal to assume. 

 I saw that he was beyond all power for harm, however, for the 

 blood was flowing from his nose and mouth, and his head was 

 lowered, and on noting this I halted a few feet from him, and 

 gazed at his ponderous proportions and impotent rage with a 

 certain degree of fascination, for he was as perfect a picture of 

 malignant ferocity as it is possible to conceive. His eyes were 

 bloodshot and of a glowing reddish-emerald hue; his mouth 

 was open and crimsoned with his life's fluid ; and fury seemed 

 to hiss out of his nostrils in streams of smoke and blood. His 

 bearing was as defiant as his looks were revengeful, and he 

 stood there an immovable living statue, for he was unable to 

 advance or retreat. In a few minutes, however, his mien 

 changed from that of a desire to annihilate a person to one of 

 pain and weakness ; and, after swaying and staggering for 

 five or six seconds, he fell over dead. After marking his 

 position, I rode on, mentally resolving to use a rifle of large 

 calibre the next time I went after buffaloes, for I had come to 

 the conclusion that a person could do better shooting with it, 

 or at least more destructive work, than with a revolver, while 

 it would also enable one to keep beyond charging distance. 



After travelling a couple of miles I met a number of our 

 party, who were wandering about, like myself, in search of 

 experience and sport rather than hides and meat. Joining 

 company, we moved towards the south, and in the course of 

 twenty minutes reached a knoll that gave us a commanding 

 view of a large portion of the surrounding country. "NVe bad 

 been there onlv a short time before we noticed an immense 



