nd round
like a wagon wheel upon its nave. They revolve with great rapidity,
using their humped shoulders as a pivot, and their legs as levers. They
sometimes continue this motion for half-an-hour at a time. No doubt
they do this, as has been said, to scratch themselves; for,
notwithstanding their thick hides and hair, they are much annoyed by
insect-parasites. They do it, too, for amusement, or to give themselves
pleasure, which is the same thing. You have often witnessed horses at a
similar exercise; and was it not evident that they took a pleasure in
it? Have you not fancied so?"

"Oh, yes," cried Francois, "I am sure horses enjoy a good tumble."

"Well, then, it is to be supposed the buffaloes do the same. Getting
rid of their tormentors, and pressing their hot sides into the fresh
cool earth, is, no doubt, a source of enjoyment to them. They are not
very cleanly; as they are often seen wandering about, so covered with
dirt, that one cannot tell what colour their hide is."

"Well!" added Francois, "I hope we shall soon come across one with a
_white_ hide!"

Talking after this fashion, our young hunters continued their journey.
They had ridden about ten miles, when Basil--whose eye was all the time
wandering around the prairie horizon--uttered an exclamation, and
suddenly reined up his horse. The others, seeing him do so, stopped
also.

"What do you see?" asked Lucien.

"I do not know," replied Basil; "but there is something yonder upon the
edge of the prairie--to the southward--do you see it?"

"Yes; it looks like a clump of low trees."

"No," said Basil; "they are not trees. This moment I saw one apart from
the rest, and I do not see it now. It appeared to move in toward the
mass. I fancy they are animals of some kind or other."

"Buffaloes, I hope!" cried Francois, raising himself to his full height
in the stirrups, and endeavouring to get a sight of them. But Francois'
pony did not give him a sufficient elevation to enable him to see the
objects; and he was, therefore, compelled to withhold an opinion as to
what they might be.

"Should we ride towards them?" asked Lucien, addressing Basil.

"I think they are moving this way," replied the latter. "They extend
more along the horizon, and that may be because they are getting nearer.
Buffaloes! no--as I live," continued he, elevating his voice, "they are
horsemen--perhaps mounted Indians!"

"Why do you think so?" inquired Lucien, hurriedl