of any one of their
heads, and always be honest in dealing with them. But if it comes to
fighting, and you see they mean your life, fight for it like a man.
Show 'em that an English boy has got a man's heart, only it's young, and
not full growed. Never give up, for recklect that if the Injuns get
hold of you it means death--horrible death--while if you fight you may
beat 'em, and if you don't it's only death all the same."

"But it seems so dreadful to shoot at a man, knowing that you may kill
him."

"So it does, my lad, but it's ever so much more dreadful for them to
shoot at you. They've only got to leave you alone and it's all right."

Just then the Beaver came cantering up to them, gently lying right down
upon his horse.

"Jump off, Master Bart," cried Joses; "there's buffler in sight, and we
don't want to scare 'em."

Setting the example, he slid from his horse, and stood behind it, Bart
imitating his acts, and they waited there till the Beaver came up, and
pointed towards an opening in the distance, where, for the moment, Bart
could see nothing; but watching attentively, he soon made out what
seemed to be a dark patch moving slowly towards them.

"Are those bison?" he whispered to Joses; though the objects at which he
gazed were miles away.

"No, they aren't," growled Joses; "them's buffler, and they're a feeding
steadily on in this way, so that we shall be able to get a good few, I
hope, and p'r'aps drive two or three a long way on towards the camp, so
as to save carrying them there."

"May we ride up to them now?" cried Bart.

"I ain't going to have anything to do with the hunt," cried Joses,
grimly. "Let the Beaver do it all; he's used to it. I haven't had
anything to do with buffler-hunting for a many years."

"Are the bulls very dangerous?" said Bart then. "I mean may I ride
pretty close up to one without getting gored?"

"They ain't half so dangerous as our own bulls used to be down at the
ranche, my lad, and not a quarter so dangerous as them that have taken
to a wild life after jumping out of the corral."

By this time the Beaver had signalled his followers to approach, and
after giving them some instructions, they all rode off together into a
bit of a valley, the Beaver and his English companions following them,
so that in a few minutes they were out of sight of the approaching herd
of buffalo, which came steadily on in profound ignorance of there being
enemies in their neighbourhood