ADVENTURE WITH A BUFFALO. 27 



melliferous employ, and fill the dark chambers of her oaken palaces year 

 by year with lioneycd store.^. The air was almost vocal with the music of 

 her wings, and the flowerets were enlivened by the gentle touches of her 

 embrace. The odor of honey filled the breeze, whicli, wafting the mingled 

 melody of birds and insects with the incense of flowers, o'er the smiling 

 prairie till lost in space, seemed more like the breath of Eden than the 

 exhalations of earth. 



As might be supposed, we were not slow in levying npon the delicious 

 stores, which the industrious insects, claiming this as their dominion, had 

 laid away for themselves. During our stay no less tlian four bee-trees 

 were levelled, and every pan, kettle, pail, keg, or empty dish in the whole 

 camp was filled to overflowing, and every stomach to repletion, with honey 

 of almost crystalline transparency. The great abundance of deer, turkey, 

 and other game in the vicinity, also contributed their share of amusement, 

 and enlivened the interval of detention. 



At length, by a partial subsidence of the water, we were enabled to efTect 

 a crossing and renew our journey. Pursuing a course \V. N. W., on the 

 27th we met a small party of whites on their return from the mountains, 

 and, yielding.to the temptation presented by a luxuriant and well-wooded 

 valley, with a pretty streamlet, the two parties made common camp. Our 

 new acquaintances were taking a large drove of horses, and several do- 

 mesticated bufialo, with them to the States. Their horses had been mostly 

 obtained from Upper California, the year previous, by a band of mountain- 

 eers, under the lead of one Thompson. This band, numbering twenty-two 

 in all, had made a descent upon the Mexican ranchos and captured between 

 two and three thousand head of horses and mules. A corps of some sixty 

 Mexican cavalry pursued and attacked them, but were defeated and pursued 

 in turn, with the loss of several mules and their entire camp equipage : 

 after which the adventurers were permitted to regain their mountain homes, 

 without further molestation ; but, in passing the cheerless desert, between 

 the Sierra Nevada and Colorado, the heat, dust, and thirst were so in- 

 tolerably oppressive, that full one half of their animals died. The remain- 

 der, however, were brought to rendezvous, and variously disposed of, to suit 

 the wants and wishes of their captors. 



The bufTalo, in possession of our wayfaring friends, had been caught 

 while calves, and reared by domestic cows. They appeared as tame and 

 easily managed as other cattle. One of them, a two-year-old heifer, was 

 rather vicious in its habits, having been spoiled, while a calf, by the too 

 great familiarity of its keeper. After listening to a full exposition of its 

 bad qualities, our commandant offered to bet he could handle, or even ride, 

 the unruly beast at pleasure. 



•' Can you ?" said the owner. " Do it, and my best horse is yours !" 



" I take all such ofters!" returned the commandant. "A horse could 

 not be easier earned !" he continued, stepping towards the ill-tutored ani- 

 mal. " Come, boss ! — Poor boss ! — bossy, bossy !" addressing the buff do, 

 w^hich commenced advancing, — at first slowly, then, with a sudden bound, 

 ran full tilt against the admirer, leaving him prostrate upon the ground, as 

 it turned away, dancing and tU-owing its heels exultingly at the exploit. 



"Bless my stars !" he exclaimed, on recovering himself; "I'd no idea 



'twould serve me sol" 



3=^ 



