The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Boy Hunters, by Captain Mayne Reid

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Title: The Boy Hunters

Author: Captain Mayne Reid

Illustrator: Unknown

Release Date: April 27, 2007 [EBook #21236]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOY HUNTERS ***

Produced by Nick Hodson of London, England

The Boy Hunters
Adventures in Search of a White Buffalo

By Captain Mayne Reid
________________________________________________________________________
This book was written after Mayne Reid discovered that writing books in
which not too many people died, and there was not too much violence, was
better business than writing as he did at first. There are three boys
living with their father, now just a little disabled, but an avid
collector of natural-history specimens. The father says he would give
almost anything for the hide of a white buffalo, and that such a beast
exists cannot be disputed. The boys volunteer to get up an expedition
to bring back the much-desired hide, and off they go.

This book is the story of their quest. But it is also an interesting
exposition of the animals and plants that inhabit the great prairies of
America. The only real fault is that we are inevitably given the Latin
name of the plant or animal. I don't know why I should object to this,
but I do. I don't think it sits well within speech.

Still, the story is really interesting, and I greatly enjoyed
transcribing it. I am sure I will read it many more times before my
days are numbered, if I can. NH
________________________________________________________________________

THE BOY HUNTERS
ADVENTURES IN SEARCH OF A WHITE BUFFALO

BY CAPTAIN MAYNE REID

CHAPTER ONE.

THE HOME OF THE HUNTER-NATURALIST.

Go with me to the great river Mississippi. It is the longest river in
the world. A line that would measure it would just reach to the centre
of the earth,--in other words, it is four thousand miles in length. Go
with me to this majestic river.

I do not wish you to travel to its source; only as far up as Point
Coupee, about three hundred miles from its mouth. There we shall stop
for a while--a very short