e, and was soon in the land of dreams.

I could not have been asleep many minutes when I felt sensible of a
strange noise, like distant thunder, or the roaring of a waterfall. The
ground seemed to tremble beneath me.

"We are going to have a dash of a thunder-shower," thought I, still
half-dreaming, half-sensible to impressions from without; and I drew the
folds of my blanket closer around me, and again slept.

I was awakened by a noise like thunder--indeed, like the trampling of a
thousand hoofs, and the lowing of a thousand oxen! The earth echoed and
trembled. I could hear the shouts of my comrades; the voices of Saint
Vrain and Gode, the latter calling out--

"Sacr-r-re! monsieur; prenez garde des buffles!"

I saw that they had drawn the horses, and were hurrying them under the
bluff.

I sprang to my feet, flinging aside my blanket. A fearful spectacle was
before me. Away to the west, as far as the eye could reach, the prairie
seemed in motion. Black waves rolled over its undulating outlines, as
though some burning mountain were pouring down its lava upon the plains.
A thousand bright spots flashed and flitted along the moving surface
like jets of fire. The ground shook, men shouted, horses reared upon
their ropes, neighing wildly. My dog barked, and bowled, running around
me!

For a moment I thought I was dreaming; but no, the scene was too real to
be mistaken for a vision. I saw the border of a black wave within ten
paces of me, and still approaching! Then, and not till then, did I
recognise the shaggy crests and glaring eyeballs of the buffalo!

"Oh, God; I am in their track. I shall be trampled to death!"

It was too late to attempt an escape by running. I seized my rifle and
fired at the foremost of the band. The effect of my shot was not
perceptible. The water of the arroyo was dashed in my face. A huge
bull, ahead of the rest, furious and snorting, plunged through the
stream and up the slope. I was lifted and tossed high into the air. I
was thrown rearwards, and fell upon a moving mass. I did not feel hurt
or stunned. I felt myself carried onward upon the backs of several
animals, that, in the dense drove, ran close together. These,
frightened at their strange burden, bellowed loudly, and dashed on to
the front. A sudden thought struck me, and, fixing on that which was
most under me, I dropped my legs astride of him, embracing his hump, and
clutching the long woolly hair that gre