ACROSS THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS, ETC. 53 



thirty yards of me. Now was my time. I took my picket 

 from my saddle, and fastened my horse to the ground as quietly as 

 possible, but with hands that almost failed to do their office, from 

 my excessive eagerness and trembling anxiety. When this was 

 completed, I crawled around the hill again, almost suspending 

 my breath from fear of alarming my intended victims, until 1 

 came again in full view of the unsuspecting herd. There were 

 so many fine animals that I was at a loss which to select ; those 

 nearest me appeared small and poor, and I therefore settled my 

 aim upon a huge bull on the outside. Just then I was attacked 

 with the " hull fever^'' so dreadfully, that for several minutes I 

 could not shoot. At length, however, I became firm and steady, 

 and pulled my trigger at exactly the right instant. Up sprang 

 the herd like lightning, and away they scoured, and my bull 

 with them. I was vexed, angry, and discontented ; I concluded 

 that I could never kill a buffalo, and was about to mount my 

 horse and ride off in despair, when I observed that one of the 

 animals had stopped in the midst of his career. I rode towards 

 him, and sure enough, there was my great bull trembling and 

 swaying from side to side, and the clotted gore hanging like 

 icicles from his nostrils. In a few minutes after, he fell heavily 

 upon his side, and I dismounted and surveyed the unwieldy 

 brute, as he panted and struggled in the death agony. 



When the first ebullition of my triumph had subsided, I per- 

 ceived that my prize was so excessively lean as to be worth 

 nothing, and while I was exerting my whole strength in a vain 

 endeavor to raise the head from the ground for the purpose of 

 removing the tongue, the two hunters joined me, and laughed 

 heartily at my achievement. Like all inexperienced hunters, I 

 had been particular to select the largest bull in the gang, sup- 

 posing it to be the best, (and it proved, as usual, the poorest,) 

 while more than a dozen fat cows were nearer me, either of 

 which I miffht have killed with as little trouble. 



