THE MISSOURI RIVER JOURNALS 



119 



o-ame and the hunters approaching the cattle, preparatory 

 to beginning the chase. It seems there is no etiquette 

 among Buffalo hunters, and this proved a great disap- 

 pointment to friend Harris, who was as anxious to kill a 

 cow, as he had been to kill a bull. Off went the whole 

 group, but the country was not as advantageous to the 

 pursuers, as to the pursued. The cows separated from 

 the bulls, the latter making their way towards us, and 

 six of them passed within one hundred yards of where I 

 stood ; we let them pass, knowing well how savage they 

 are at these times, and turned our eyes again to the 

 hunters. I saw Mr. C. pursuing one cow, Owen another, 

 and Bell a third. Owen shot one and mortally wounded 

 it; it walked up on a hill and stood there for some min- 

 utes before falling. Owen killed a second close by the 

 one Mr. C. had now killed, Bell's dropped dead in quite 

 another direction, nearly one mile off. Two bulls we saw 

 coming directly towards us, so La Fleur and I went under 

 cover of the hill to await their approach, and they came 

 within sixty yards of us. I gave La Fleur the choice of 

 shooting first, as he had a rifle; he shot and missed; they 

 turned and ran in an opposite direction, so that I, who 

 had gone some little distance beyond La Fleur, had no 

 chance, and I was sorry enough for my politeness. Owen 

 had shot a third cow, which went part way up a hill, fell, 

 and kicked violently; she, however, rose and again fell, 

 and kept kicking with all her legs in the air. Squires 

 now drove to her, and I walked, followed by Moncr^vier, 

 a hunter; seeing Mr. C. and Harris on the bottom below 

 we made signs for them to come up, and they fortunately 

 did, and by galloping to Squires probably saved that 

 young man from more danger; for though I cried to him 

 at the top of my voice, the wind prevented him from hear- 

 ing me; he now stopped, however, not far from a badly 

 broken piece of ground over which had he driven at his 

 usual speed, which I doubt not he would have attempted, 



