Horns 



position which might arise. I was beginning 

 to get desperate when the bison moved slowly 

 forward for about twenty paces, and then turning 

 walked slowly away end on. The whole thing 

 was done in the slowest and most deliberate 

 and methodical manner, as if he had told us in 

 so many words that he intended stopping and 

 seeing this matter through. He went about 40 

 yards, and my relief was so great that I had 

 already begun to think of offensive tactics with 

 my one cartridge. ' One shot,' I meditated ; 

 ' if I could but get at the shoulder, and then a 

 rapid bolt to the rear.' Before, however, I 

 had time to come to any determination on the 

 point, I was fairly staggered once again. For 

 the bull turned, facing the direction from which 

 we had originally left the forest, and deliberately 

 sat down. From a mind eased of the tremendous 

 strain put upon it and thoughts of offensive 

 operations, I was thrown back into a state of 

 desperation once again. The habits of the bison 

 when wounded and enraged are so well known 

 as to be unknown, to speak in a paradox, for 

 one can never tell how they will act. Of this I 

 was aware, and here was one who apparently 

 combined all their vindictiveness when roused 

 with a deliberate calmness which was infinitely 

 disconcerting. As soon as he was comfortably 

 settled he kept his head slowly and constantly 

 on the move, carefully searching the grass from 



J?9 



