leaves of some of the deciduous trees drifted
downward like the soft falling flakes of snow.

Deerfoot raised the glass to his eyes and slowly swept the field of
vision. It was a striking proof of the solitude of this immense region
that he did not see the first sign of a human being. No horsemen riding
across the open spaces or climbing the wooded heights formed a part of
the picture, nor in any direction could he detect the faint smoke of a
camp fire. Wherever the Nez Perces whom he was pursuing might be, they
were still a long distance away.

But the diversified landscape did not lack animal life. The most
interesting sight was that of two grizzly bears, that were frolicking
like a couple of puppies in an open space at the foot of a slight
elevation. Deerfoot held the glass pointed at them for some minutes and
more than once smiled at the odd picture. The great hulking brutes
tumbled, rolled, pawed and boxed each other, all the while pretending
to bite and yet taking care that neither tooth nor nail did harm. Then
one would start to run off, as if frightened, with the other in hot
pursuit. When overtaken, and sometimes before, the fugitive would wheel
and cuff and bite at the other, as if in a dreadful rage. You know how
amusing the antics of kittens and puppies are. Imagine, if you can, two
enormous bears disporting themselves in the same comical fashion, and
you will understand why the Shawanoe watched the couple minute after
minute, forgetting for the time the serious business on which he was
engaged.

But this was not all that attracted him in his surroundings. From out
the undergrowth on the northern side of the stream forming the outlet
of the lake came two or three hundred buffaloes, their dusky bodies
imparting a strange appearance of agitation to that portion of the
landscape. They headed for the stream, which was no more than a hundred
feet in width, and plunged in, pausing long enough to drink, flirting
their tails and tossing their heads, bellowing and crowding one
another. The water was too shallow to force them to swim, but it was
splashed and flung in all directions. When those at the front emerged
they broke into a gallop, with the others dashing tumultuously after
them.

Their course brought them within a few rods of the base of the
elevation on which Deerfoot was standing. He walked down the slope
until quite near the head of the herd, when he brought his rifle to his
shoulder and sent a bulle