turn me from
my project; they gave me a very picturesque, but a very discouraging
description of the dangers and difficulties I should have to encounter,
especially as I was not accustomed to that sort of warfare,--and such
a combat is, in fact, a struggle for life or death. But I would listen
to nothing. I had spoken the word: I would not discuss the point,
and I looked upon all their counsels as null and void. My decision
was right; for these kind counsels, these frightful pictures of the
dangers I was about to incur, had no other object than to entrap
me; they had concerted amongst themselves to judge of my courage by
my acceptance or refusal of the combat. My only answer was to give
orders for the hunt. I took great care that my wife should not be
informed of our excursion, and I set off, accompanied by half a score
Indians, nearly all of whom were armed with muskets. Buffalo hunting
is different in the mountains from what it is in the plains. On the
plain one only requires a good horse, with address and agility in
throwing the lasso; but in the mountains it requires something more:
and, above all, the most extraordinary coolness and self-possession
are essentially necessary.

This is the way in which it is done: the hunter takes a gun on which
he can depend, and places himself in such a position that the buffalo
must see him on issuing from the wood. The moment the animal sees
him, he rushes on him with the utmost velocity, breaking, rending,
and trampling under foot every obstacle to the fury of his charge;
he rushes on as if about to crush the enemy, then stops within some
paces for a few seconds, and presents his sharp and threatening
horns. This is the moment that the hunter should fire, and lodge his
ball in the forehead of the foe. If unfortunately his gun misses fire,
or if his coolness fails him, if his hand trembles, or his aim is bad,
he is lost--Providence alone can save him! This was, perhaps, the
fate that awaited me; but I was resolved to tempt this cruel proof,
and I went forward with intrepidity--perhaps to death. We at length
arrived on the skirts of an extensive wood, in which we felt assured
there were buffaloes, and here we halted. I was sure of my gun,
and I conceived I was equally so of my self-possession; I therefore
determined that the hunt should be conducted as if I had been a simple
Indian. I placed myself at the spot where it was fully expected that
the animal would come out, and I forb