The hunter dangled in the air for a minute
that to him seemed a year. Then he gathered
up all the strength that was in him, and with
one grand effort he pulled himself up on the
limb.
If he had failed in this, he would have fallen
to the ground under the hoofs of the buffaloes,
and at their mercy.
After he had adjusted his seat as comfort-
ably as he could, Antoine surveyed the situation.
He had at least escaped from sudden and cer-
tain death. It grieved him that he had been
forced to abandon his horse, and he had no
idea how far he had come nor any means of
returning to his friends, who had, no doubt,
given him up for lost. His immediate needs
were rest and food.
Accordingly he selected a fat cow and emp-
tied into her sides one barrel of his gun, which
had been slung across his chest. He went on
shooting until he had killed many fat cows,
greatly to the discomfiture of his neighbor, the
bear, while the bison vainly struggled among
themselves to keep the fatal spot clear.
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