A BUFFALO HUNT. 53 



tance. I accordingly started off with him, and when we 

 came within about a third of a mile of the spot, I went 

 carefully round to leeward, and directed the Indian to 

 go and give them his wind by approaching on the other 

 side, as soon as he thought I had reached my intended post, 

 whither I knew they would make in order to pass through 

 to the open plain. So accurately had the Indian calcu- 

 lated time and distance, that I was hardly at my place 

 when a huge bull thundered head-long by me, and received 

 a shot low and close behind the shoulder as he passed. 

 He stumbled on for about ten paces, and lay quietly down. 

 I waited to reload, and on going up found him stone dead. 

 The Indian then joined me, and said that the other two 

 bulls had not gone far, but had taken different directions, 

 so that we agreed that he should pursue one and I the 

 other. 



" I soon came in sight of mine. He was standing a 

 little way off on the open plain, but the skirting willows 

 and brushwood afforded me cover within eighty yards of 

 him, profiting by which I crept up, and taking a delibe- 

 rate aim, fired. The bull gave a convulsive start, moved 

 off a little way, and turned his broadside again to me. I 

 fire again, over a hundred yards this time ; he did not 

 stir. I loaded and fired the third time, whereupon he 

 turned and faced me, as if about to show fight. As I 

 was loading for a fourth shot he tottered forward a step 



5* 



