xperiment, Dick galloped up and
put a ball through his heart.

Joe and his comrades felt a little ashamed of their exploit on this
occasion, for there was no need to have killed three animals; they could
not have carried with them more than a small portion of one, and they
upbraided themselves several times during the operation of cutting out
the tongues and other choice portions of the two victims. As for the
bull, he was almost totally useless, so they left him as a gift to the
wolves.

Now that they had come among the buffalo, wolves were often seen
sneaking about and licking their hungry jaws; but although they
approached pretty near to the camp at nights, they did not give the
hunters any concern. Even Crusoe became accustomed to them at last, and
ceased to notice them. These creatures are very dangerous sometimes,
however, and when hard pressed by hunger will even attack man. The day
after this hunt the travellers came upon a wounded old buffalo which had
evidently escaped from the Indians (for a couple of arrows were sticking
in its side), only to fall a prey to his deadly enemies, the white
wolves. These savage brutes hang on the skirts of the herds of
buffaloes to attack and devour any one that may chance, from old age, or
from being wounded, to linger behind the rest. The buffalo is tough and
fierce, however, and fights so desperately that although surrounded by
fifty or a hundred wolves, he keeps up the unequal combat for several
days before he finally succumbs.

The old bull that our travellers discovered had evidently been long
engaged with his ferocious adversaries, for his limbs and flesh were
torn in shreds in many places, and blood was streaming from his sides.
Yet he had fought so gallantly that he had tossed and stamped to death
dozens of the enemy. There could not have been fewer than fifty wolves
round him; and they had just concluded another of many futile attacks,
when the hunters came up, for they were ranged in a circle round their
huge adversary--some lying down, some sitting on their haunches to rest,
and others sneaking about, lolling out their red tongues, and licking
their chops as if impatient to renew the combat. The poor buffalo was
nearly spent, and it was clear that a few hours more would see him torn
to shreds and his bones picked clean.

"Ugh! de brutes," ejaculated Henri.

"They don't seem to mind us a bit," remarked Dick, as they rode up to
within pistol shot.

"It'