iery ordeal, prepared alike for sinners of
all ages, sizes, and complexions, a roar of laughter broke
simultaneously from the lips of each, and the shouts of mirth drowning
his voice, left him violently gesticulating; and, at length, waxing
warmer at the reception his homily met with, he began to foam at the
mouth with frantic rage, and a more distant likeness to Him who bore
contumely with meekness never opened to unwilling ears and stubborn
hearts.

We were now on the verge of the upper prairies, no longer enameled with
flowers and flowering plants, but covered with a short, coarse, herbage
called "buffalo grass," on which the buffalo loves to feed. These
hunting grounds are far easier to ride over, from being free of vines
and entangling shrubs which interlace each other in impenetrable masses,
although the yawning clefts, made by the water courses, the wallows
caused by the buffaloes forming baths for themselves by ripping the
earth open with their heads in soft, oozy spots, and the burrowing of
that sharp and watchful little animal the prairie dog, cause both horse
and horseman to run considerable risk when taking a spin over the flat.
Hill and dale, bluff and level, the landscape broke upon the eye in one
of those infinite and fruitful wastes, which strikes the mind with awe
at its grand and boundless scale.

The serious object of the expedition was now on the eve of being
realized, and the land of promise being gained, every preparation had
been made the succeeding morning for a regular buffalo hunt. In addition
to my rifle and pistols, I carried a long lance with the shaft made of
the toughest ash. This weapon I found rather unwieldy and awkward, and
saw how different it looked in the hands of my companions; but Hawkeye
insisted that it was indispensable, an I could not attempt the use of
bow and arrow.

Stripped of all superfluous garments, and fully equipped for the
expedition, my companions mounted their horses, with their lassos
uncoiled and trailing upon the ground, as invariably is the rule in war
or hunting, for the purpose of facilitating the re-capture of the animal
should an unlucky separation take place between the rider and his
saddle. Alike eager for the sport, both horses and men seemed to be
moved by a desire to let no "impotent delay" stand between them and the
consummation of their hopes, and, as we moved forward to give chase to
the herds which were known to be in the vicinity, I thought tha