hat I could have
touched them with my gun. Suddenly, to my utter amazement, the hoofs
were jerked upward, the tails flourished in the air, and amid a cloud
of dust the buffalo seemed to sink into the earth before me. One vivid
impression of that instant remains upon my mind. I remember looking down
upon the backs of several buffalo dimly visible through the dust. We had
run unawares upon a ravine. At that moment I was not the most accurate
judge of depth and width, but when I passed it on my return, I found it
about twelve feet deep and not quite twice as wide at the bottom. It
was impossible to stop; I would have done so gladly if I could; so, half
sliding, half plunging, down went the little mare. I believe she came
down on her knees in the loose sand at the bottom; I was pitched forward
violently against her neck and nearly thrown over her head among the
buffalo, who amid dust and confusion came tumbling in all around. The
mare was on her feet in an instant and scrambling like a cat up the
opposite side. I thought for a moment that she would have fallen back
and crushed me, but with a violent effort she clambered out and gained
the hard prairie above. Glancing back I saw the huge head of a bull
clinging as it were by the forefeet at the edge of the dusty gulf. At
length I was fairly among the buffalo. They were less densely crowded
than before, and I could see nothing but bulls, who always run at the
rear of the herd. As I passed amid them they would lower their heads,
and turning as they ran, attempt to gore my horse; but as they were
already at full speed there was no force in their onset, and as Pauline
ran faster than they, they were always thrown behind her in the effort.
I soon began to distinguish cows amid the throng. One just in front of
me seemed to my liking, and I pushed close to her side. Dropping the
reins I fired, holding the muzzle of the gun within a foot of her
shoulder. Quick as lightning she sprang at Pauline; the little mare
dodged the attack, and I lost sight of the wounded animal amid the
tumultuous crowd. Immediately after I selected another, and urging
forward Pauline, shot into her both pistols in succession. For a while
I kept her in view, but in attempting to load my gun, lost sight of her
also in the confusion. Believing her to be mortally wounded and unable
to keep up with the herd, I checked my horse. The crowd rushed onward.
The dust and tumult passed away, and on the prairie, far behind