294 BIG GAME OF NORTH AMERICA. 



among them, had alarmed the others far on the west side 

 of the valley, and they all ran off southward. 



Slowly, and crest-fallen, I tramped back to camp. 

 M and E coming in, reported having killed a Buf- 

 falo at the first fire, but this proved to be a wounded one, 

 and unfit to eat. Wounded Buffaloes were to be found 

 everywhere. The settlers along the frontier came with all 

 known weapons in search of meat, and Buffaloes were shot 

 with anything that would burn powder. Skin-hunters had 

 been on the ground ahead of us, as the stripped carcasses 

 proved, but we did not meet any. In fact, the land stunk 

 with rotting Buffaloes, as the breeze many times testified 

 when not a carcass was in sight. 



Around the camp-fire that night the situation was dis- 

 cussed at length. Y , who did not care to hunt, as it 



was old sport to him, and as he knew that his gun was 

 worthless, kindly volunteered to haul the meat to camp and 

 let us tenderfeet do the hunting. In fact, he killed only 

 two Buffaloes on the trip. E , the boy, was a gentle- 

 manly fellow, and, although eager to hunt, expressed his 

 willingness to do w^hatever the others wished. 



M , who, we had for some time observed, was not 



averse to letting us know that he thought Y and myself 



very small jjotatoes as hunters, now volunteered the state- 

 ment that E and himself would have to do the killing. 



This was gall and wormwood to me, and, although nothing 

 was said in reply, I inwardly vowed that the morning light 

 would see the beginning of an effort to kill Buffalo, the 

 best I was capable of making. 



In the morning, E expressed a wish to hunt with me, 



but, excusing myself, I sallied forth alone. M and E 



hunted together to the southwest, while Y kept the 



camp. 



A mile or two out, I sa,w a very large Antelope feeding on 

 the brink of a ravine half a mile in front, and as he, for a 

 w^onder, had not seen me, I ran down into the ravine and 

 follow^ed it up until opposite him, then crawled to the top 

 of the bank, laid off my cap, and, peering carefully over the 



