And theyplunged again down the slope, faster,
rendered reckless by thesuccess of their boldness. Choosing the bull the farthest
outside of the herd, Pilchuck aimedwith deliberation, and fired. But some of us had
to go an we were allready. Theprairie rises slow for about that distance, then
dips.
You notice we can see only four or five miles, he
said. Wal, a couple more scratches will make an old residenter out ofyou, Tom, he
said, dryly. Theprairie was not here a beautiful prospect. I reckon Im even with the
Comanches, he said, grimly.
They mounted, and were off at a gallop that gave
place to a run.
If I dontshow up inside of five years invest the
money for your children.
Id rather have nose an eyes fullof Cottonwood
smoke. Always the buffaloheaded to the wind; they would drink and graze, and go on,
noses tothe breeze.
There were hundreds of hunterslike him on the
range.
When he awoke he heard again thelong mournful
roar.
Wal, Ill be darned if I know, ejaculated
Pilchuck.
Why didnot his comrade, or perhaps his mate, get up
and come?
No wonder this little calf showed in itssad
resignation the doom of the species! Whats more important, it will make Texassafe
for settlers. Now and then another wouldwalk out of the crowd, and that was fatal
for him. ThenPilchuck missed dead center of a quartering shot at a bull that ledout.
Sometimes he would act with the mostincredible speed.
Then he gazed across the northern horizon of the
prairie round to apoint due east.
Tom was not the last to get his hands into that
cartridge bag, norto fall in line after the scout. It fixed his mind on this thinghe
was doing and left him no peace. An Blake an his outfit roaredtill they near died.
They mergedinto a purple-black mass down which streaked thin zigzag ropes
oflightning. Ive killedan skinned over four thousands buffs. Starwell has the idea,
declared Pilchuck.
Each an every one of you yelllike the devil, run a
dozen jumps, drop down on your knee anshoot.
Wal, the Comanches that are left are slowly comin
in to Fort Sillan goin on the reservation.
He can still cover that gate an also reach thecamp.
That was all; and heabandoned the strain.