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They followed up the depression in the plains where they had found the buffalo, gained the timber, and walked all day under its protecting folds. They were a long way from their enemies' country, but instinctively began the cautious advance which is the wild-animal nature of an Indian. The old buffalo-bulls, elk and deer fled from before them as they marched. A magpie mocked at them.
"If all the half-breeds in Rud River wass to go as mad as buffalo-bulls wi' their tails cut off, I would go," said Duncan junior, with quiet decision of tone and manner, as he lighted his pipe. "Ay, it iss that same you would do if you wass to be hanged to-morrow for doin' it, Tuncan," returned the old man testily, as he fired cloudlets in rapid succession from his compressed lips.
There was a valley beyond; a cloud of dust was rising out of its bottom, and in the midst of this I could distinguish two huge forms dark and hirsute. I saw at once that they were a pair of buffalo-bulls engaged in a fierce fight. They were alone; there were no others in sight, either in the valley or on the prairie beyond.
They had approached to within four or five hundred yards before the buffalo-bulls curved their tails into marks of interrogation and began to paw the ground. Another moment, and the mighty herd took to flight. Then the huntsmen let loose their eager steeds. As squadrons of dragoons charge into the thick of battle, these wild fellows bore down with grand momentum on the buffalo bands.
"One day in the fall when the leaves were yellow, and the Deer-people were dressed in their blue robes when the Geese and Duck-people were travelling to the country where water does not freeze, and where flowers never die, OLD-man was travelling on the plains. "Near sundown he saw two Buffalo-Bulls feeding on a steep hillside; but he had no bow and arrow with him.
Down in a gulch a clear, cool creek dallied its way toward the Missouri, where its water, bitter as gall, would be lost in the great stream. Here, where Nature forbids man to work his will, and where the she wolf dens and kills to feed her litter, an aged Indian stood near the scattered bones of two great buffalo-bulls.
At that moment I heard an explosion, then a roar, as if proceeding from ten millions of buffalo-bulls so stunning, so stupifying was the sound from the mass of animals, not twenty yards from us. Each moment I expected the hoofs which were to trample us to atoms; and yet, death came not. I only heard the rushing as of a mighty wind and the trembling of the earth. I raised my head and looked.
Ferocious in aspect as is the long hairy-skinned buffalo or properly the bison of America, and savage when attacked, yet it is capable of devoted affection towards its own kind. A party of hunters were riding on the prairies, when two fine buffalo-bulls were seen proceeding along the opposite side of a stream.
At that moment I heard an explosion, then a roar, as if proceeding from ten millions of buffalo-bulls so stunning, so stupefying was the sound from the mass of animals, not twenty yards from us. Each moment I expected the hoofs which were to trample us to atoms; and yet, death came not. I only heard the rushing as of a mighty wind and the trembling of the earth. I raised my head, and looked.
The minute they came into the cabin we could see that they had all been drinkin'. They acted like a lot of wild buffalo-bulls, an', young as I was, I could see that they meant mischief, an' I knowed that our chance for life was small indeed.
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