ive miles when he broke down. In fact, it
became evident to him that he must have a longer period of absolute
repose ere he could hope to continue his journey, but to do so without
food was impossible. Fortunately there was plenty of water, as his
course lay along the margin of a small stream, and, as the arid piece of
prairie was now behind him, he hoped to fall in with birds, or perhaps
deer, soon.

While he was plodding heavily and wearily along, pondering these things,
he came to the brow of a wave from which he beheld a most magnificent
view of green grassy plains, decked with flowers, and rolling out to the
horizon, with a stream meandering through it, and clumps of trees
scattered everywhere far and wide. It was a glorious sight; but the
most glorious object in it to Dick, at that time, was a fat buffalo
which stood grazing not a hundred yards off. The wind was blowing
towards him, so that the animal did not scent him, and, as he came up
very slowly, and it was turned away, it did not see him.

Crusoe would have sprung forward in an instant, but his master's finger
imposed silence and caution. Trembling with eagerness Dick sank flat
down in the grass, cocked both barrels of his piece, and, resting it on
his left hand with his left elbow on the ground, he waited until the
animal should present its side. In a few seconds it moved; Dick's eye
glanced along the barrel, but it trembled--his wonted steadiness of aim
was gone. He fired, and the buffalo sprang off in terror. With a groan
of despair he fired again,--almost recklessly,--and the buffalo fell!
It rose once or twice and stumbled forward a few paces, then it fell
again. Meanwhile Dick re-loaded with trembling hand, and advanced to
give it another shot, but it was not needful, the buffalo was already
dead.

"Now, Crusoe," said Dick, sitting down on the buffalo's shoulder and
patting his favourite on the head, "we're all right at last. You and I
shall have a jolly time o't, pup, from this time for'ard."

Dick paused for breath, and Crusoe wagged his tail and looked as if to
say--pshaw! "_as if_!"

We tell ye what it is, reader, it's of no use at all to go on writing
"as if," when we tell you what Crusoe said. If there is any language in
eyes whatever,--if there is language in a tail; in a cocked ear; in a
mobile eyebrow; in the point of a canine nose;--if there is language in
any terrestrial thing at all, apart from that which flows from the
ton