Year: 1873

and perambulating as though the,


knew there was danger, but did nc


know its direction. The old hunte


gave the order to charge. They al


put spurs to their horses and wer


fast diminishing the distance whicl


interviewed between them, when the,


discovered the approach of the enc


my and started eastward, with tn


roar of tornado. On the hunter


went, our hero in the lead, and oil


rushed the mighty herd, like a dark


rapidly receding cloud: on the hunt


ers sped with increasing impetuosity


Overtaking them in about two miles


they divided on either side las direct


ed and all selected their prizes excep


our hero, who pushed on, going a


the top of his horses speed, until h'


got in advance of them, and having


shot the last charge from his navy


turned, galloped off from the hero


about half mile, jumped from his


his horse to reload his pistol in order


to renew his pursuit. So great wa:


his excitement that he rammed in


all the balls without any powder, not


making the discovery until he had


put in the last bullet. He then


mounted his horse and went gallop-


ing back to see how many he had


killed. They had all been successful


but him.


They dressed their beef and repair
ed to camp. The next morning, not


withstanding they had sent their
mules and wagons about ten miles
back to a settlement, lest they should
be stolen from them, thought it ad-
visable to move their camp about
eight miles further up the river, and
were compelled to pack all their pro-
visions and camp equipage on horse
back; they had three or four sacks OF
flour and a many of salt. However.
they succeeded in moving. Our hero
sat upon sack of salt.


On the next day they got very
early start, and directed their course
eastward, passing through a skirt of
woods about two miles wide, emerg-
ing into large prairie, with agradual
ascent for a mile, which brought
them to the top. The landscape, at
that point, was sublimely magnifi-
cent. The prairie formed an i'm
mense level plain, as far as the eye
could reach, covered with a rich,
waving herbage, the top of which
had been yellowed by the recent
frost. A few fieecy clouds with a
glittering fringe of silver fioated in a
canopy of blue around the portals of
the east, as messengers to welcome
the grand luminary of the day, that
was just raising his broad disk in
splendor, as from an ocean, sending
his bright horizontal rays over the
immense plains, and being reflected
and mellowed by the yellow tinge of
the herbage, gave to the surface a
rich covering of purple and gold lend
ing to the horizon peculiar splendor,
resembling the colors of the rainbow.
Tho several glittering herds in the
distance were adorned with a daz-
zling halo of the same transcendant
tints. The exalted, pleasing gran
deur of the scene impressed the be-
holder with a sense of profound ven
Grafton for the Author of nature.


To the south, between the skirt of
wood and the top of the prairie, dis
tanee of about two miles, could be
seen three or four buffaloes quietly
grazing, and several large herds in
the east. Frank, having been un-
successful in the chase heretofore,
was anxious to try his stratagem
alone on that small group, and so ex-
pressed himself. The hunters laugh
ed at him, and told him he could not
kill one, if it was tied, but he knew
better, he said. They all consented
for him to try. He was delighted,
and started back to the wood, usingit
as a cover, until he thought he was
far enough to be opposite the buffa-
loes, and then rode into the prairie,
and to his surprise, not a buffalo
could be seen. He had taken the lee
ward and been discovered.


He now thought he would hasten
to the top of the hill and see if he
could discover his company. In do
ing so he saw some brown looking OBJ
ject, ensconsed in the high grass. He
rode around it and after scrutinizing
it for some time, discovered it to be a
buffalo calf. He was perfectly de-
lighted. He rode off about twenty
PAGES, alighted, threw his bride reins
upon the ground, removed his hair
rope from his horses neck, soliloquiz-
ing: "I will surprise them this time
They say that can't kill a buffalo.
Humph! will show them, when /
carry this little fellow into camp
alive"


He DOTTED his coat and pistols, lea
wing his horse to Craze, while he per-
formed the delightful operation of
tying the calf-rope in hand, he ad-
yanced cautiously to the snug little
bed, the calf's head was toward him,
his eyes glistened in the straw like
polished jet; he examined it closely
with feelings of delight and ecstacy.
The little fellow appeared to dimin-
sh in size, and scarcely to breathe;
as he advanced SO great were his feel
ings of triumph. When he had got
ten sufficiently near, he stopped and
debated in his own mind the best
method of capturing him. He first
thought ne would fall upon it and
seize it in his arms, but finally con-
cluded, lest he should hurt it by that
method, he would seize it by the ears
and commenced slowly stopping,
parting the high grass with his hand,
the calf's eyes fixed upon him, at last
be thought he was near enough to
make the grab; as be did so the calf
made a sudden bound, ran under him,
turning the confidential young hum
ter a complete. summersault, whirl-
inn around In an instant and as the