Well, about daylight we were all out on the veranda, and they gave
Pa instructions about what he was to do. The ranchman said it was
against the state laws to kill buffalo, except in self-defense, so
Pa would have to get in a blind, like the German emperor, and have
the game driven to him. They gave Pa two big revolvers, loaded
with blank cartridges, I know, because I heard them whisper about
it the night before, and they gave him a peck measure of salt and
told him to sneak up to a little shed out in a field and conceal
himself until the game came along, and then open fire, and when
his buffalo fell, mortally wounded, to go out and skin it.

Pa asked what the salt was for, and they told him it was to salt
the hide. Say, I knew that the place they sent Pa to wait for
buffalo was where they salted the animals once a week, and started
to tell pa, but the rancher called me off and told me I could go
with the men and help drive the game to destruction.

We waited until the ranchman had gone out with Pa and got him
nicely concealed, the way they conceal Emperor William when he
slaughters stags, and Pa looked as brave as any emperor as he got
his two big revolvers ready for an emergency. The ranchman told pa
that he had twelve shots in the revolvers, and he better begin
firing when the big bull came over the ridge, on the trail, at the
head of the herd, and as the animal advanced, as he no doubt
would, to keep firing until the whole 12 shots were fired, and
then if the animal was not killed, to use his own judgment as to
what to do, whether to run for the house, or lay down and pretend
to be dead.

Pa said he expected to kill the animal before three shots had been