remains the surface of the mighty
deep, still so dangerous are these smooth waves, that ships rock and
tumble about, and sometimes lose their masts, or are flung upon their
beam ends! That is what the sailors call a "swell." Now, if you could
imagine one of these billowy seas to be suddenly arrested in its motion,
and the water transformed to solid earth, and covered with a green
sward, you would have something not unlike a "rolling prairie." Some
think that, when these prairies were formed, some such rolling motion
actually existed, by means of an earthquake, and that all at once the
ground ceased its undulations, and stood still! It is an interesting
speculation for the learned geologist.

The ridges of the prairie, upon which our adventurers were journeying,
extended from east to west, and, of course, the valleys trended in the
same direction. The route was northward; the path, therefore, which the
travellers pursued was a continued succession of ups and downs.

Eagerly looking before them, anxiously scanning the valleys or troughs
of the prairie as they surmounted each new swell, they rode onward full
of hope that they would soon come in sight of the buffaloes. But they
were not prepared for the sight was so soon to greet their eyes--a sight
which one would have supposed would have filled them with joy, but
which, on the contrary, had the effect of inspiring them with a feeling
akin to terror.

They had just climbed one of the ridges that gave them a view of the
valley beyond. It was a small deep valley, of nearly a circular form,
and covered with a green turf. Near one side of it was a spring--the
waters of which issuing forth ran nearly around the circumference of the
valley, and then escaped through one of the troughs of the prairie. The
course of this rivulet could be traced by the low trees--cotton-woods
and willows--that fringed its banks; so that the central part of the
valley presented the appearance of a small circular meadow almost
surrounded by a grove.

It was in this meadow that a spectacle was offered to the eyes of our
adventurers, which caused them to rein suddenly up, and sit gazing down
upon it with singular emotions. The spectacle was that of a number of
animals engaged in what appeared to be a mixed and terrible combat!
There was not over a dozen of them in all, but they were large animals,
of fierce aspect and furious bearing; and so desperately were they
assailing one another, tha