y passed him, but he retained his place near the middle of the
herd.

The buffalo, or properly the bison, is a stupid animal, but a peculiar
fact about the small drove amid which Terry Clark was riding was that a
number noticed him and in their way tried to push him off. They would
dash up beside the bull with head lowered, and rub their horns against
him in the effort to reach the rider and unseat him.

"The only way in which ye can do that," said Terry, when he saw what
they were trying to do, "is to climb up and take a saat behind me. Thin,
if ye'll lock yer arms about me nick ye may persuade me to stip down,
but ye can't do much while on the ground."

The buffaloes were too dull of intellect to realize their helplessness
in this respect, and they continued crowding close to the bull until
they must have caused him some discomfort. This crowding was of such a
marked character that, as you will remember, it was noticed by Fred
Linden as far off as he stood.

Once or twice the rider had one of his feet slightly jammed, but he was
able to lift it out of danger without imperiling his position. The dust
caused by the hoofs of the animals did not rise until his steed had
passed beyond, so that he suffered nothing therefrom and every thing in
front was in plain view. The speed of the beast, however, caused some
inconvenience, for the wind made him blink, and it was only by half
closing his eyes that he could peer out between the lids and see
clearly.

Before the other side of the prairie was reached, Terry Clark began
asking himself the natural and important question,--How is this to end?

The same theories that I have mentioned as occurring to Fred Linden
passed through his brain also. If the bull should dash among the trees
at that headlong pace, the rider could not retain his place for more
than a minute or two; if he was wounded enough to cause him to give out
and fall to the ground, he would be trampled upon by those behind and
Terry of course would share his fate.

Brief as was the time given for thought, the youth considered a half
dozen plans. He glanced over his shoulder and was alarmed to see how
many animals were in the rear of him. He asked himself whether he could
not slip backward, grasp the swinging tail, and dropping to the ground,
keep his feet while he held fast to the caudal appendage, and pulling
the other way, act as a brake upon the progress of the animal until all
the others had passed on. The