port; while
others, old hunters, had the "meat" in their eye.

We had made but a short day's march; our horses were still fresh, and in
three times as many minutes, the three miles that lay between us and the
game were reduced to one. Here, however, we were winded. Some of the
party, like myself, green upon the prairies, disregarding advice, had
ridden straight ahead; and the bulls snuffed us on the wind. When
within a mile, one of them threw up his shaggy front, snorted, struck
the ground with his hoof, rolled over, rose up again, and dashed off at
full speed, followed by his four companions.

It remained to us now either to abandon the chase or put our horses to
their mettle and catch up. The latter course was adopted, and we
galloped forward. All at once we found ourselves riding up to what
appeared to be a clay wall, six feet high. It was a stair between two
tables, and ran right and left as far as the eye could reach, without
the semblance of a gap.

This was an obstacle that caused us to rein up and reflect. Some
wheeled their horses, and commenced riding back, while half a dozen of
us, better mounted, among whom were Saint Vrain and my voyageur Gode,
not wishing to give up the chase so easily, put to the spur, and cleared
the scarp.

From this point it caused us a five miles' gallop, and our horses a
white sweat, to come up with the hindmost, a young cow, which fell,
bored by a bullet from every rifle in the party.

As the others had gained some distance ahead, and we had meat enough for
all, we reined up, and, dismounting, set about "removing the hair."
This operation was a short one under the skilful knives of the hunters.
We had now leisure to look back, and calculate the distance we had
ridden from camp.

"Eight miles, every inch!" cried one.

"We're close to the trail," said Saint Vrain, pointing to some old
waggon tracks that marked the route of the Santa Fe traders.

"Well?"

"If we ride into camp, we shall have to ride back in the morning. It
will be sixteen extra miles for our cattle."

"True."

"Let us stay here, then. Here's water and grass. There's buffalo meat;
and yonder's a waggon load of `chips.' We have our blankets; what more
do we want?"

"I say, camp where we are."

"And I."

"And I."

In a minute the girth buckles flew open, our saddles were lifted off,
and our panting horses were cropping the curly bunches of the prairie
grass, within the circles of their _ca