e!

In the midst of one of the stretches of rolling prairie-land, great
herds of buffalo are scattered in groups, browsing with all the air of
security peculiar to domestic cattle. Happily their memories are short.
They seem prone to enjoy the present, forgetful of the past and
regardless of the future--happily, I say, for those humpy and hairy
creatures are not unacquainted with man's devices--the sudden surprise,
the twang of the red-man's bow and the crack of the hunter's rifle.

It was the forenoon of a splendid day, when this peaceful scene was
broken in upon by obstreperous, fighting, peace-destroying man. A
little cloud of dust on the horizon was the first indication of his
approach, and a very antique buffalo-bull was first among the thousands
of innocents to observe the cloud. It stirred the memory of other days,
no doubt within his capacious bosom, and probably sent a thrill through
his huge frame, which, terminating naturally in his tail, caused that
appendage to vibrate and curl slightly upwards. At the same time he
emitted softly a low rumble, which might have served for the bass of a
cathedral organ.

Most of the cows near the patriarch looked up in evident surprise, as
though to say, "What in all the world do you mean by _that_?" But the
patriarch took no notice of them. He kept his wicked little eyes fixed
intently on the cloud of dust, twitching his tail nervously, and
rumbling cathedral-organically. If I might venture to guess at the
mental operations of that patriarch, I should say that he was growling
to himself, "Is that you again, you galloping, spitfiring, two-legged,
yelling monsters?" or some such bovine expression.

By degrees the cloud came nearer and enlarged. Simultaneously the
groups of buffaloes drew together and began to gaze--perchance to
remember! The patriarch became excited, wriggled his tail, which was
ridiculously small for his body, pawed the ground, trotted hither and
thither, and commenced playing on all the deeper notes of his organ.

At last there could be no doubt. The two-legged monsters came on,
mounted on four-legged brutes, which began to trot as the distance
between them diminished. This was enough. The patriarch tossed his
haunches to the sky, all but wriggled off his tail, gave utterance to a
bursting bellow, and went scouring over the plains like a gigantic wild
pig. The entire buffalo host performing a similar toss and wriggle,
followed close on his