If you manage to sight any, bring me word.
A single fat cow is all we want, but they are harder to get up to than
the bulls."

I saw that Reuben was not very confident of his skill. He therefore
undertook to act as a scout, keeping an eye on Samson's movements.
Sandy and I agreed to ride to some distance: he was to go to the north,
I to the south; and we were afterwards to meet under a hill we saw in
the distance. In case of the appearance of Indians, we were immediately
to try and reunite.

These arrangements being made, I galloped off in the direction proposed.
I had ridden for some time, when, on mounting a slight elevation, I saw
afar off a number of black dots sprinkling the plain, and knew that they
must be buffalo, though I was unable to determine in what direction they
were heading. I therefore galloped on in order to ascertain this point,
as it was necessary to do so before returning to inform Samson of my
discovery. On descending to the lower ground they were lost to view;
but I hoped, by moving forward, again to catch sight of them. On I
galloped, without observing the sudden change which had taken place in
the weather, so eager was I to get up with the buffalo.

Not till I had gone much further than I had supposed necessary, did I
begin to suspect that, instead of feeding, as I had at first fancied,
they were going at full rate, and that I must push my horse at his
utmost speed to come up with them; still I did not like the idea of
allowing them to escape me, without ascertaining whereabouts they were
to be found. I forgot at the moment that all I had to do was to come
upon their trail, and that we could then easily follow them up, however
far they might go. On I went, however, looking out for some higher
ground, from which I might again catch sight of them and mark their
course. Eager in the pursuit of the animals, I did not notice how time
went by, or how far I was going, and thought not of the danger to which
I should be exposed if I encountered hostile Indians, nor of the
difficulty I might experience in regaining my companions.

I believed that I was pushing due south, but it did not occur to me that
I was running any risk of losing myself. Once again I caught sight of
the buffalo; but though I had gained on them, they were still a long way
off. I knew, therefore, that they must be moving rapidly; but yet I
wished to get nearer to them, and if possible to kill one of the rear of
the herd,