d began operations. I had
roped and dispatched several, when my attention was attracted by a
magnificent bull buffalo, which I made up my mind to get, running free
behind the herd. My buffalo soon came within range and my rope settled
squarely over his horns and my horse braced himself for the strain but
the bull proved too much for us. My horse was knocked down, the saddle
snatched from under me and off my horse's back and my neck nearly broken
as I struck the hardest spot in that part of Texas After I got through
counting the stars not to mention the moons that I could see quite
plainly, I jumped to my feet and after assuring myself that I was all
there I looked for my horse, he was close by just getting up while in
the distance and fast growing more distant each moment was my favorite
saddle flying in the breeze, hanging to the head of the infuriated
buffalo.

Now I did not think I could very well lose that saddle so I sprang on my
horse's bare back and started in pursuit. My horse could run like a deer
and his hard fall did not seem to affect him much, so it did not take us
long to overtake the plunging herd. Running my horse close up by the
side of the thief who stole my saddle, I placed the muzzle of my
forty-five close against his side and right there I took charge of Mr.
Buffalo and my outfit.

It was no trouble to get all the buffalo meat we wanted in those days,
all that was necessary was to ride out on the prairie and knock them
over with a bullet, a feat that any cow boy can accomplish without
useless waste of ammunition, and a running buffalo furnishes perhaps the
best kind of a moving target for practice shooting. And the man that can
drop his buffalo at two hundred yards the first shot can hit pretty much
anything he shoots at.

I never missed anything I shot at within this distance and many a time
when I thought the distance of an object was too great, the boys have
encouraged me by saying, shoot, you never miss, and as much to my
surprise as theirs, my old stand by placed the bullet where I aimed.

I early in my career recognized the fact that a cow boy must know how to
use his guns, and therefore I never lost an opportunity to improve my
shooting abilities, until I was able to hit anything within range of my
forty-five or my winchester. This ability has times without number
proved of incalculable value to me, when in tight places. It has often
saved the life of myself and companions and so by const