nd Seguin through the bushes; like them, riding
slowly and silently.

In a few minutes we reached the edge of a prairie covered with long
grass. Peering cautiously through the leaves of the prosopis, we had a
full view of the open ground. The buffaloes were on the plain!

It was, as Rube had rightly conjectured, a small prairie about a mile
and a half in width, closed in on all sides by a thick chapparal. Near
the centre was a motte of heavy timber, growing up from a leafy
underwood. A spur of willows running out from the timber indicated the
presence of water.

"Thur's a spring yander," muttered Rube. "They've jest been a-coolin'
their noses at it."

This was evident enough, for some of the animals were at the moment
walking out of the willows; and we could see the wet clay glistening
upon their flanks, and the saliva glancing down from their jaws.

"How will we get at them, Rube?" asked Seguin; "can we approach them, do
you think?"

"I doubt not, cap. The grass 'ud hardly kiver us, an thur a-gwine out
o' range o' the bushes."

"How then? We cannot run them; there's not room. They would be into
the thicket at the first dash. We would lose every hoof of them."

"Sartin as Scripter."

"What is to be done?"

"This niggur sees but one other plan as kin be used jest at this time."

"What is it?"

"Surround."

"Right; if we can do that. How is the wind?"

"Dead as an Injun wi' his head cut off," replied the trapper, taking a
small feather out of his cap and tossing it in the air. "See, cap, it
falls plump!"

"It does, truly."

"We kin easily git roun' them bufflers afore they wind us; an' we hev
men enough to make a picket fence about them. We can hardly set about
it too soon, cap. Thur a movin' torst the edge yander."

"Let us divide the men, then," said Seguin, turning his horse; "you can
guide one-half of them to their stands. I will go with the other.
Monsieur Haller, you had better remain where you are. It is as good a
stand as you can get. Have patience. It may be an hour before all are
placed. When you hear the bugle, you may gallop forward and do your
best. If we succeed, you shall have sport and a good supper, which I
suppose you feel the need of by this time."

So saying, Seguin left me, and rode back to the men, followed by old
Rube.

It was their purpose to separate the band into two parties, each taking
an opposite direction, and to drop men here and there at regular