ance occurred during the night. The Arapahoes did not attempt
mischief, or if they did the wakefulness of the party deterred them
from effecting their purpose. The next day was one of activity and
excitement, for about ten o'clock the men in advance shouted the
gladdening cry of "Buffalo, buffalo!" and in the hollow of the prairie
just below us, a band of bulls were grazing. The temptation was
irresistible, and Shaw and I rode down upon them. We were badly mounted
on our traveling horses, but by hard lashing we overtook them, and
Shaw, running alongside of a bull, shot into him both balls of his
double-barreled gun. Looking round as I galloped past, I saw the bull in
his mortal fury rushing again and again upon his antagonist, whose
horse constantly leaped aside, and avoided the onset. My chase was more
protracted, but at length I ran close to the bull and killed him with
my pistols. Cutting off the tails of our victims by way of trophy, we
rejoined the party in about a quarter of an hour after we left it.
Again and again that morning rang out the same welcome cry of "Buffalo,
buffalo!" Every few moments in the broad meadows along the river, we
would see bands of bulls, who, raising their shaggy heads, would gaze in
stupid amazement at the approaching horsemen, and then breaking into a
clumsy gallop, would file off in a long line across the trail in front,
toward the rising prairie on the left. At noon, the whole plain before
us was alive with thousands of buffalo--bulls, cows, and calves--all
moving rapidly as we drew near; and far-off beyond the river the
swelling prairie was darkened with them to the very horizon. The party
was in gayer spirits than ever. We stopped for a nooning near a grove of
trees by the river side.

"Tongues and hump ribs to-morrow," said Shaw, looking with contempt at
the venison steaks which Delorier placed before us. Our meal finished,
we lay down under a temporary awning to sleep. A shout from Henry
Chatillon aroused us, and we saw him standing on the cartwheel
stretching his tall figure to its full height while he looked toward the
prairie beyond the river. Following the direction of his eyes we could
clearly distinguish a large dark object, like the black shadow of a
cloud, passing rapidly over swell after swell of the distant plain;
behind it followed another of similar appearance though smaller. Its
motion was more rapid, and it drew closer and closer to the first. It
was the hunters of