ound, and occupied
solely with the hunter were precipitated to the earth with great
force, rolling over and over with the violence of the shock, and
hardly distinguishable in the dust. We separated on entering, each
singling out his game.

"My horse was a trained hunter, famous in the west under the name of
Proveau, and, with his eyes flashing, and the foam flying from his
mouth, sprang on after the cow like a tiger. In a few moments he
brought me alongside of her, and, rising in the stirrups, I fired at
the distance of a yard, the ball entering at the termination of the
long hair, and passing near the heart. She fell headlong at the report
of the gun, and checking my horse, I looked around for my companions.
At a little distance, Kit was on the ground, engaged in tying his
horse to the horns of a cow which he was preparing to cut up. Among
the scattered bands, at some distance below, I caught a glimpse of
Maxwell; and while I was looking, a light wreath of white smoke
curled away from his gun, from which I was too far to hear the
report. Nearer, and between me and the hills, towards which they were
directing their course, was the body of the herd, and giving my horse
the rein, we dashed after them. A thick cloud of dust hung upon their
rear, which filled my mouth and eyes, and nearly smothered me. In
the midst of this I could see nothing, and the buffalo were not
distinguishable until within thirty feet. They crowded together more
densely still as I came upon them, and rushed along in such a compact
body, that I could not obtain an entrance--the horse almost leaping
upon them. In a few moments the mass divided to the right and left,
the horns clattering with a noise heard above everything else, and my
horse darted into the opening. Five or six bulls charged on us as we
dashed along the line, but were left far behind, and singling out a
cow, I gave her my fire, but struck too high. She gave a tremendous
leap, and scoured on swifter than before. I reined up my horse, and
the band swept on like a torrent, and left the place quiet and clear.
Our chase had led us into dangerous ground. A prairie-dog village, so
thickly settled that there were three or four holes in every twenty
yards square, occupied the whole bottom for nearly two miles in
length. Looking around, I saw only one of the hunters, nearly out of
sight, and the long dark line of our caravan crawling along, three or
four miles distant."

The trail which the pa