egarding the youth somewhat contemptuously. Berry armed for the chase
with frantic haste, dashing about and tumbling over everything in search
of his powder-horn and shot-pouch, which were always mislaid, and
moving the muzzle of his gun hither and thither in such a way as to
place the lives of his men in constant and deadly peril. He started at
last, with the speed of a hunted deer, and made a bold sweep into the
woods in order to head the buffaloes. Here he squatted down behind a
bush, to await their coming.

"A short time sufficed to bring the stealthy hunters within range. Three
shots were fired, and two animals fell to the ground; while a third
staggered with difficulty after its companions, as they bounded through
the woods towards the prairies, headed by the patriarchal bull of the
herd. This majestic animal had a magnificently shaggy mane and a pair of
wild glittering eyes, that would have struck terror into the stoutest
heart; but Berry was short-sighted; moreover, he had concealed himself
behind a shrub, through which, as he afterwards remarked, he 'could
see nicely.' No doubt of it; but the bush was such a scraggy and
ill-conditioned shrub that the buffalo bull could see through it just
as nicely, and charged, with a hideous bellow, at the unfortunate youth
as it came up the hill.

"Berry prepared to receive him. For once he remembered to cock his
piece; for once his aim was true, and he hit the huge animal on the
forehead at a distance of ten yards; but he might as well have fired
against the side of a house; the thick skull, covered with its dense
matting of coarse hair, was thoroughly ball-proof.

"The bull still came on. Just at this moment another shot was fired, and
the animal hurled forward in a complete somersault; the bush was crushed
to atoms, and Berry was knocked head-over-heels to the ground, where he
lay extended at full length beside his slaughtered foe.

"'Ah! pauvre enfant,' cried Antoine, running up and lifting Berry's head
from the ground. 'Is you hurt ver' moch? Dat bull him break de ribs I
'fraid.'

"Antoine's fears were groundless. In half an hour the youth was as well
as ever, though somewhat shaken by the fall. The choice morsels of the
dead buffalo were cut off by the men with an adroit celerity that was
quite marvelous, and in a very short time the boats were again rapidly
descending the stream.

"The bivouac that night resounded with more vigorous mirth than usual.
The camp f