My horse was a trained hunter, famous in the West under the name of
Proveau; and, with his eyes flashing and the foam flying from his mouth,
sprang on after the cow like a tiger. In a few moments he brought me
alongside of her, and rising in the stirrups, I fired at the distance of a
yard, the ball entering at the termination of the long hair, and passing
near the heart. She fell headlong at the report of the gun; and, checking
my horse, I looked around for my companions. At a little distance, Kit was
on the ground, engaged in tying his horse to the horns of a cow he was
preparing to cut up. Among the scattered bands, at some distance below, I
caught a glimpse of Maxwell; and while I was looking, a light wreath of
smoke curled away from his gun, from which I was too far to hear the
report. Nearer, and between me and the hills, towards which they were
directing their course, was the body of the herd; and, giving my horse the
rein, we dashed after them. A thick cloud of dust hung upon their rear,
which filled my mouth and eyes, and nearly smothered me. In the midst of
this I could see nothing, and the buffalo were not distinguishable until
within thirty feet. They crowded together more densely still as I came
upon them, and rushed along in such a compact body, that I could not
obtain an entrance--the horse almost leaping upon them. In a few moments
the mass divided to the right and left, the horns clattering with a noise
heard above every thing else, and my horse darted into the opening. Five
or six bulls charged on us as we dashed along the line, but were left far
behind; and, singling out a cow, I gave her my fire, but struck too high.
She gave a tremendous leap, and scoured on swifter than before. I reined
up my horse, and the band swept on like a torrent, and left the place
quiet and clear. Our chase had led us into dangerous ground. A prairie-dog
village, so thickly settled that there were three or four holes in every
twenty yards square, occupied the whole bottom for nearly two miles in
length. Looking around, I saw only one of the hunters, nearly out of
sight, and the long, dark line of our caravan crawling along, three or