134 A SOJOURN AilONG THE IIALF-BBEEDS. 



sprung to one side and getting his foot into one of the innumerable 

 badger holes with -which the plains abound, he fell at once, and I was 

 thrown over his head with such violence that I was completely 

 stunned, but I soon recovered my recollection. Some of the men 

 caught my horse, and I was speedily remounted, and soon saw reason 

 to congratulate myself on my good fortune, for I found a man, who 

 had been thrown in a similar way, lying a short distance from me 

 quite senseless, in which state he was carried back to the camp. I 

 again joined in the pursuit and, coming up with a large bull, I had the 

 satisfaction of bringing him down at the first fire. Excited by my 

 success I threw down my cap, and, galloping on, soon put a bullet 

 through another enormous animal. He did not however fall, but 

 stopped and faced me, pawing the earth, bellowing and glaring 

 savagely at me. The blood was streaming profusely from his mouth, 

 and I thought he would soon drop. The position in which he stood 

 was so fine, that I could not resist the desire of making a sketch. 

 I accordingly dismounted, and had just commenced, v, hen he suddenly 

 made a dash at me. I had hardly time to spring on my horse, and 

 get away from him, leaving my gun and everything else behind. 

 "When he came up to where I had been standing, he turned over the 

 articles I had dropped, pawing fiercely as he tossed them about, and 

 then retreated towards the herd. I immediately recovered my gun, 

 and, having reloaded, again pursued him and soon planted another 

 shot in him ; and this time he remained on his legs long enough for 

 me to make a sketch. This done, I returned with it to the camp, 

 carrying the tongues of the animals I had killed, according to 

 custom, as trophies of my success as a hunter. I have often witnessed 

 an Indian buffalo hunt since, but never one on so large a scale. In 

 returning to the camp I fell in with one of the hunters coolly driv- 

 ing a wounded buffalo before him. In reply to my enquiry why he 

 did not shoot him, he said he would not do so until he got him close 

 to the lodges, as it would save the trouble of bringing a cart for the 

 meat. He had already driven him seven miles, and afterwards killed 

 him within two hundred yards of the tents. That evening, while the 

 hunters were still absent, a buffalo, bewildered by the hunt, got 

 amongst the tents, and at last got into one, after having terrified 

 all the women and children, who precipitately took to flight ; when 

 the men returned they found him there still, and being unable to 

 dislodge him, they shot him down from the opening in the top. 



Our camp was now moved to the field of slaughter for the greater 

 c nvenience of collecting the meat. However lightly I wished to 

 think of my fall, I found myself the next day suffering consider:! 



