of the _voyageurs_, which we had just begun
to learn. Often had we lain on our little pallet in Bachelors' Hall,
recounting to each other our adventures in the wild woods, or recalling
the days of our childhood, and making promises of keeping up a steady
correspondence through all our separations, difficulties, and dangers.

A year passed away, and at last I got a letter from one of my friends,
dated from the Arctic regions, near the mouth of Mackenzie River; the
other wrote to me from among the snow-clad caps of the Rocky Mountains;
while I addressed them from the swampy, ice-begirt shores of Hudson Bay.

In the Saskatchewan brigade two young bisons were conveyed to York
Factory for the purpose of being shipped for England in the _Prince
Rupert_. They were a couple of the wildest little wretches I ever saw,
and were a source of great annoyance to the men during the voyage. The
way they were taken was odd enough, and I shall here describe it.

In the Saskatchewan the chief food both of white men and Indians is
buffalo meat, so that parties are constantly sent out to hunt the
buffalo. They generally chase them on horseback--the country being
mostly prairie land--and when they get close enough, shoot them with
guns. The Indians, however, shoot them oftener with the bow and arrow,
as they prefer keeping their powder and shot for warfare. They are very
expert with the bow, which is short and strong, and can easily send an
arrow quite through a buffalo at twenty yards off. One of these
parties, then, was ordered to procure two calves alive, if possible, and
lead them to the Company's establishment. This they succeeded in doing
in the following manner. Upon meeting with a herd, they all set off
full gallop in chase. Away went the startled animals at a round trot,
which soon increased to a gallop as the horse men neared them, and a
shot or two told that they were coming within range. Soon the shots
became more numerous, and here and there a black spot on the prairie
told where a buffalo had fallen. No slackening of the pace occurred,
however, as each hunter, upon killing an animal, merely threw down his
cap or mitten to mark it as his own, and continued in pursuit of the
herd, loading his gun as he galloped along. The buffalo-hunters, by the
way, are very expert at loading and firing quickly while going at full
gallop. They carry two or three bullets in their mouths, which they
spit into the muzzles of their gu