d with them, for buffaloes are not long-winded.

On nearing the herd, the three men diverged from each other and selected
their animals. Henri, being short-sighted, naturally singled out the
largest; and the largest--also naturally,--was a tough old bull. Joe
brought down a fat young cow at the first shot, and Dick was equally
fortunate. But he well-nigh shot Crusoe, who, just as he was about to
fire, rushed in unexpectedly and sprang at the animal's throat, for
which piece of recklessness he was ordered back to watch the pack-horse.

Meanwhile, Henri, by dint of yelling, throwing his arms wildly about,
and digging his heels into the sides of his long-legged horse, succeeded
in coming close up with the bull, which once or twice turned his clumsy
body half round and glared furiously at its pursuer with its small black
eyes. Suddenly it stuck out its tail, stopped short, and turned full
round. Henri stopped short also. Now, the sticking out of a buffalo's
tail has a peculiar significance which it is well to point out. It
serves, in a sense, the same purpose to the hunter that the compass does
to the mariner; it points out where to go and what to do. When
galloping away in ordinary flight the buffalo carries his tail like
ordinary cattle, which indicates that you may push on. When wounded, he
lashes it from side to side, or carries it over his back, up in the air;
this indicates "Look out! haul off a bit!" But when he carries it stiff
and horizontal, with a _slight curve_ in the middle of it, it says
plainly, "Keep back, or kill me as quick as you can," for that is what
Indians call the _mad-lazy_, and is a sign that mischief is brewing.

Henri's bull displayed the mad-tail just before turning, but he didn't
observe it, and, accordingly, waited for the bull to move and show his
shoulder for a favourable shot. But instead of doing this he put his
head down, and, foaming with rage, went at him full tilt. The big horse
never stirred; it seemed to be petrified. Henri had just time to fire
at the monster's neck, and the next moment was sprawling on his back,
with the horse rolling over four or five yards beyond him. It was a
most effective tableau. Henri rubbing his shins and grinning with pain,
the horse gazing in affright as he rose trembling from the plain, and
the buffalo bull looking on half stunned, and, evidently, very much
surprised at the result of his charge.

Fortunately, before he could repeat the e