e shouted the gladdening cry of "Buffalo, buffalo!" and
in the hollow of the prairie just below us, a band of bulls were
grazing. The temptation was irresistible, and Shaw and I rode down upon
them. We were badly mounted on our traveling horses, but by hard lashing
we overtook them, and Shaw, running alongside of a bull, shot into him
both balls of his double-barreled gun. Looking around as I galloped
past, I saw the bull in his mortal fury rushing again and again upon
his antagonist, whose horse constantly leaped aside, and avoided the
onset. My chase was more protracted, but at length I ran close to the
bull and killed him with my pistols. Cutting off the tails of our
victims by way of trophy, we rejoined the party in about a quarter of an
hour after we left it.

Again and again that morning rang out the same welcome cry of "Buffalo,
buffalo!" Every few minutes in the broad meadows along the river, we
would see bands of bulls, who, raising their shaggy heads, would gaze in
stupid amazement at the approaching horsemen, and then breaking into a
clumsy gallop, would file off in a long line across the trail in front,
toward the rising prairie on the left. At noon, the whole plain before
us was alive with thousands of buffalo--bulls, cows, and calves--all
moving rapidly as we drew near; and far off beyond the river the
swelling prairie was darkened with them to the very horizon. The party
was in gayer spirits than ever. We stopped for a nooning near a grove of
trees by the river-side.

"Tongues and hump ribs to-morrow," said Shaw, looking with contempt at
the venison steaks which Delorier placed before us. Our meal finished,
we lay down under a temporary awning to sleep. A shout from Henry
Chatillon aroused us, and we saw him standing on the cart-wheel,
stretching his tall figure to its full height while he looked toward the
prairie beyond the river. Following the direction of his eyes we could
clearly distinguish a large dark object, like the black shadow of a
cloud, passing rapidly over swell after swell of the distant plain;
behind it followed another of similar appearance though smaller. Its
motion was more rapid, and it drew closer and closer to the first. It
was Arapahoe hunters pursuing a band of buffalo. Shaw and I hastily
sought and saddled our best horses, and went plunging through sand and
water to the farther bank. We were too late. The hunters had already
mingled with the herd, and the work of slaughter was n