140 A BUFFALO CHASE. 
horseback and with his bow and arrow; and 
believing my riding-horse the fleetest in com- 
pany (which, by the by, was but a common 
pony, and thin in flesh withal), I dismounted 
and gave him the bridle, with many charges 
to treat him kindly, as we still had a long 
journey before us. “ Don’t attempt to kill 
but one—that will serve us for the present!” 
I exclaimed, as he galloped off’ The Co- 
manche was among the largest of his tribe— 
bony and muscular—weighing about two 
hundred pounds: but once at his favorite 
sport, he very quickly forgot my injunction, as 
well as the weakness of my little pony. He 
soon brought down two of his game,—and_ 
shyly remarked to those who followed in his 
wake, that, had he not feared a scolding from 
me, he would not have pomies the third to 
escape. 
On the evening of the 10th our camp was 
pitched in the neighborhood of a ravine in the 
prairie, and as the night was dark and dreary, 
the watch tried to comfort themselves by 
building a rousing fire, around which they 
presently drew, and. commenced ‘ spinning 
long yarns’ about Mexican fandangoes, and 
black-eyed damsels, All of a sudden the still- 
ness of the night was interrupted by a loud 
report of fire-arms, and a shower of bullets 
came whizzing by the ears of the heedless 
sentinels. Fortunately, however, no one was 
injured; which must ooked upon as a 
very extraordinary circumstance, when we 
consider what a fair mark our men, thus hud- 
