d a
stream at hand furnished us with water. Thus fortified, we mounted our
horses and rode to the top of a hill near at hand, from which we could
command an extensive view of the prairie.

Not a sign, however, of a buffalo could be seen; still the chief was
confident that he was not mistaken, and we pushed our horses in the
direction of the sounds we had heard for at least ten miles. When we
had gone about another ten miles we could just distinguish a black line
crossing the prairie.

"I told you so," said the chief; "there they are, and we shall in less
than another hour be up to them."

All we could as yet see was the mere margin of the herd, looking, as I
have said, like a black line thrown along the edge of the sky, or a low
shore just visible across a lake.

We calculated that the place where we first heard the sounds of the
animals' feet could not have been less than twenty miles off. As we
drew near we observed that the herd was in the wildest state of
commotion. The bulls every now and then rushing at each other and
fighting desperately, the sounds produced by the knocking together of
their hoofs as they raised their feet from the ground, their incessant
tramping and loud and furious roars as they engaged in their terrific
conflicts, created an uproar which it seemed surprising our horses took
so quietly; but we had chosen animals well accustomed to hunting the
buffalo, and they were as eager as we were for the chase. Under other
circumstances it would have required great caution to approach the herd;
but engaged as they now were they were not easily alarmed, and the Cree
chief giving the word we rode directly at them.

"Let the bulls alone," cried the chief, as we galloped forward. "Single
out the cows; they alone are worth eating. Don't stop to ram down your
charges after you have fired, but pour in the powder, and drop down the
bullet upon it. 'Twill serve your purpose, for you must not draw
trigger till you're close to the animal, or you will fail to bring it to
the ground."

We, of course, promised to follow his instructions, and dashed forward.
As we got nearer we saw that the herd was so densely packed that we
should have the greatest difficulty in making our way into their midst
without having our horses injured by their horns; not that the buffaloes
would have run at them, but in consequence of the rapid way in which
they moved them about, in their frantic rage, in all directions. We
th