intervals around the prairie. They would keep in the thicket while on
the march, and only discover themselves at a given signal. In this way,
should the buffaloes allow time for the execution of the movement, we
should be almost certain of securing the whole gang.

As soon as Seguin had left me, I looked to my rifle and pistols, putting
on a fresh set of caps. After that, having nothing else to occupy me, I
remained seated in my saddle, eyeing the animals as they fed unconscious
of danger. I was full of anxiety lest some clumsy fellow might discover
himself too soon, and thus spoil our anticipated sport.

After a while I could see the birds flying up from the thicket, and the
screaming of the blue jay indicated to me the progress of the
"surround."

Now and then, an old bull, on the skirts of the herd, would toss up his
shaggy mane, snuff the wind, and strike the ground fiercely with his
hoof, evidently labouring under a suspicion that all was not right.

The others did not seem to heed these demonstrations, but kept on
quietly cropping the luxuriant grama.

I was thinking how nicely we were going to have them in the trap, when
an object caught my eye, just emerging from the motte. It was a buffalo
calf, and I saw that it was proceeding to join the gang. I thought it
somewhat strange that it should be separated from the rest, for the
calves, trained by their mothers to know the wolf, usually keep up with
the herd.

"It has stayed behind at the spring," thought I. "Perhaps the others
pushed it from the water, and it could not drink until they were gone."

I fancied that it moved clumsily, as if wounded; but it was passing
through the long grass, and I could not get a good view of it.

There was a pack of coyotes (there always is) sneaking after the herd.
These, perceiving the calf, as it came out of the timber, made an
instant and simultaneous attack upon it. I could see them skipping
around it, and fancied I could hear their fierce snarling; but the calf
appeared to fight its way through the thick of them; and after a short
while, I saw it close in to its companions, where I lost sight of it
among the others.

"A game young bull," soliloquised I, and again I ran my eye around the
skirting of the chapparal to watch how the hunters were getting forward
with the "surround." I could perceive the flashing of brilliant wings
over the bramble, and hear the shrill voices of the jay-birds. Judging
by these,