be apprehended. Each
hunter now ascertained that his rifle was loaded, and then filled his
mouth with bullets--a ready-at-hand pouch, that he might the more
quickly drop them into his piece. I was afraid of following this
example, for fear of the bullets dropping down my throat or of my gun
bursting. Malcolm and I kept close to Sigenok. He told us to do what
he did, not to lose sight of him, assuring us that our horses understood
hunting perfectly. Our hearts beat with eagerness. We had now got near
enough, in the opinion of our leader, to charge. The signal was given,
and at headlong speed the band of huntsmen dashed in among the
astonished animals. The buffaloes fled in all directions, the horsemen
following, firing right and left, and loading again with extraordinary
rapidity, seldom missing; and as each animal fell, the hunter who had
killed it dropped some article of his dress, or other mark, by which he
might distinguish it. It was the most exciting scene in which I was
ever engaged--the hunters, so lately a dense and orderly body, were now
scattered far and wide over the plain, many miles apart, in pursuit of
the buffaloes; some terror-stricken, others infuriated to madness.
Sigenok had killed five or six, and Malcolm had also, much to our
gratification, killed one, though I had not been so successful, from
nervousness, I fancy; when the Indian being at some distance, as we were
in full chase of another buffalo, a huge bull started out from behind a
knoll, and rushed towards us. My brother's horse started at the
unexpected sight, and putting his foot into a badger hole, stumbled, and
threw him over his head. The faithful animal stood stock still, but on
came the bull. I shrieked out to Malcolm to leap on his horse and fly,
but he was stunned, and did not hear me. The bull was not twenty paces
from him; in another instant he would have been gored to death. I felt
thankful that I had not before fired. Raising my rifle to my shoulder,
I pulled the trigger, the huge animal was within ten paces of him; over
it went, then rose on its knees, and struggled forward. I galloped up
to Malcolm, who was beginning to recover his senses. With a strength I
did not fancy I possessed I dragged him up, and helped him on his horse
just before the monster fell over the spot where he had lain, and would
have crushed him with his weight. By the time Sigenok returned, the
buffalo was dead. He highly praised me when he