IN THE FAR WEST. 201 



to be unsteady and nervous. After a refreshing drink of 

 water, \vhieh I procured in a thread-like brook, T moved south 

 once more, and on reaching the hillock from which I had 

 started on the last run, saw herd after herd of buffaloes come 

 thundering- towards me. The many puffs of whitish smoke 

 which hung 1 over them proved that they were being- pursued 

 by white men, and the black dots on the prairie proved how 

 destructive the shooting- was. The picture presented by the 

 advancing- hosts mig-ht have been appreciated at any other 

 time, but just then it was anything- but agreeable, as I feared 

 I would be entangled in their midst, for my horse was too 

 tired to flee before them, and the columns were too wide to 

 cross their front before they could reach me, so there was 

 nothing left but to try and pass between two herds, or open 

 a gap by scaring the animals with voice and weapon. "NVhen 

 the multitudes came near my position some of the leaders 

 winded me, and the moment they did so they gave way to 

 the left, and they were followed by those directly behind, while 

 others swerved to the right and divided up into groups. I 

 darted into one of the lanes, and by using voice and 

 revolver, produced such an effect that the herds forced them- 

 selves further apart and left a space through which I rapidly 

 retreated. On emerging at the rear I found a party of 

 hunters there, at a full stop, evidently awaiting some exciting 

 or important event ; and when they saw me they asked if I 

 knew of any man being killed in front. I guessed at the 

 cause of their alarm at once, and told them I had not. ""Well," 

 said one, " there's some idiot there among the buffaloes, and 

 he's been either shot or caught in the herds, and he's yelling 

 like a pig under a gate. lie seems to be a regular greenhorn, 

 for if he doesn't want to be shot he ought to keep on the 

 outside of a herd." " Never mind, Bill," said another, " if he's 

 dead we can't help it, and if he ain't we'll find him. Let's 

 be off; we can't afford to lose our buffaloes;" and without 

 another word they started off in pursuit of the runaways. I 

 did not care to explain matters to them, so 1 jogged towards 

 camp, and reached it by six o'clock. 



I found the greater manlier of our party then 1 , and though 



