THE BISON. 97 



within twenty paces or so, I raised the 

 rifle for a shot, but the cap had fallen 

 off as I ran, and I should have fared 

 badly but for the bull's wounded 

 shoulder. He lowered his head to 

 charge down on me, but rolled over and 

 fell as often as he attempted to repeat 

 the charge. I am sorry to say that the 

 poor bull received a good many bullets 

 before he was killed, though we were 

 both most anxious to end his sufferings. 

 I was more fortunate with the first 

 bull I ever shot, and succeeded — by 

 aiming high up behind the shoulder, 

 and a few inches under the base of 

 the dorsal ridge — in dropping him with 

 a single ball from a smooth bore; he 

 measured seventeen hands two inches, 

 and his head and horns are still pre- 



H 



