MR. PALLISER'S STORY. 39 



As soon as we were comfortably seated around the fire, 

 the leader of the party introduced himself as a Mr. John 

 Palliser, an English gentleman, who had traversed the 

 prairies to see their variety of scenery, and enjoy their 

 splendid sports. His companions were citizens of the 

 western states, who accompanied him in the expedition. 

 Two of them I recognised as experienced hunters and 

 trappers on the Missouri. Mr. Palliser .expressed him- 

 self delighted with the exciting nature of life on the 

 plains. He was a lively, talkative companion, and while 

 we were discussing the meal, he told us, in an animated 

 style, phases of his short experience in prairie sport. 



" Of course, said he, " such adventures as those with 

 which I have met are. trifles to such veteran hunters as 

 yourselves. But some of them have been just about as 

 thrilling and perilous as I wish to undergo. My first 

 dashes at buffalo hunting were made near Fort Union, 

 on the Missouri. It was about Christmas time. 



" I started off one day by myself after a large herd of 

 buffalo, about three miles westward of the fort, adopting 

 the novel expedient of carrying with me a white blanket 

 in order to stalk them. I took such a course as not to give 

 the herd my wind, and with the cover afforded by the 

 point, succeeded in getting within a couple of hundred yards 

 of them. I crept forward on my hands and knees, covered 

 by the blanket, which prevented them from distinguishing 



