284 , THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLEEY. 



the waist ; cartridges are prepared and placed in the waistcoat pocket, or a half dozen 

 bullets "throwed into the mouth," &c., all of which takes up some ten or fifteen min- 

 utes, and is not, in appearance or in effect, unlike a council of war. Our leader lays 

 the whole plan of the chase, and preliminaries all fixed, guns charged and ramrods 

 in our hands, we mount and start for the onset. The horses are all trained for this 

 business, and seem to enter into it with as much enthusiasm, and with as restless a 

 spirit as the riders themselves. While "stripping" and mounting they exhibit the 

 most restless impatience; and when "approaching" (which is, all of us abreast, 

 upon a slow walk, and in a straight line towards the herd, until they discover us and 

 run) they all seem to have caught entirely the spirit of the chase, for the laziest nag 

 amongst them prances with an elasticity in his step, champing his bit, his ears erect, 

 his eyes strained out of his head, and fixed upon the game before him, whilst he trem- 

 bles under the saddle of his rider. In this way we carefully and silently marched, 

 until within some forty or fifty rods, when the herd discovering us, wheeled and laid 

 their course in a mass. At this instant we started (and all must start, for no one coiild 

 check the fury of those steeds at that moment of excitement), and away all sailed, 

 and over the prairie flew, in a cloud of dust which was raised by their trampling 

 hoofs. McKenzie was foremost in the throng, and soon dashed off amidst the dust 

 and was out of sight ; he was after the fattest and the fastest. I had discovered a 

 huge bull whose shoulders towered above the whole band, and I picked my way 

 through the crowd to get alongside of him. I went not for " meat," but for a trophy ; 

 I wanted his head and horns. I dashed along through the thundering mass, as they 

 swept away over the plain, scarcely able to tell whether I was on a buffalo's back or 

 my horse's, hit, and hooked, and jostled about, till at length I found myself alongside 

 of my game, when I gave him a shot as I passed him. I saw guns flash in several 

 directions about me, but I heard them not. Amidst the trampling throng Monsieur 

 Chardon had wounded a stately bull, and at this moment was passing him again with 

 his piece leveled for another shot. They were both at full speed and I also, within 

 the reach of the muzzle 'of my gun, when the bull instantly turned receiving the horse 

 upon his horns, and the ground received poor Chardon, who made a frog's leap of 

 some twenty feet or more over the bull's back and almost under my horse's heels. 



I wheeled my horse as soon as possible and rode back where lay poor Chardon gasp- 

 ing to start his breath again, and within a few paces of him his huge victim, with his 

 heels high in the air, and the horse lying across him. I dismounted instantly, but 

 Chardon was raising himself on his hands, with his eyes and mouth full of dirt, and 

 feeling for his gun, which lay about thirty feet in advance of him. "Heaven spare 

 you! are you hurt, Chardon?" "Hi — hie — hie — hie — hie — hie — no — hie — no — no, I 

 believe not. Oh, this is not much. Monsieur Cataline, this isnothingnew; but this is a 

 hard piece of ground here — hie — oh! hie!" At this the poor fellow fainted, but in a 

 few moments arose, picked up his gun, took his horse by the bit, which then opened 

 its eyes, and with a hie and an ugh — ughk, sprang upon its feet, shook off the dirt, 

 and here we were all upon our legs again, save the bull, whose fate had been more 

 sad than that of either. 



I turned my eyes in the direction where the herd had gone, and our companions in 

 pursuit, and nothing could be seen of them, nor indication, except the cloud of dust 

 which they left behind them. At a little distance on the right, however, I beheld my 

 huge victim endeavoring to make as much headway as he possibly could, from this 

 dangerous ground, upon three legs. I galloped off' to him, and at my approach he 

 wheeled around and bristled up for battle. He seemed to know perfectly well that he 

 could not escape from me, and resolved to meet his enemy and death as bravely as 

 possible. 



I found that my shot had entered him a little too far forward, breaking one of his 

 shoulders and lodging in his breast, and from his very great weight it was impossible 

 for him to make much advance upon me. As I rode up within a few paces of him he 

 would bristle up with fury enough in his looks alone almost to annihilate me, and 



