She told me later that she crept close to the water
hole and waited there for the bull to come, but that he stood back and
stared ahead stupidly and would not move. She said she trembled when at
last he approached, so savage was his look. Even a man might be smitten
with terror at the fierce aspect of one of these animals.
But at last I heard the bitter crack of the rifle and, raising my head,
I saw her spring up and then drop down again. Then, staggering a short
way up the opposite slope, I saw the slow bulk of the great black bull.
He turned and looked back, his head low, his eyes straight ahead. Then
slowly he kneeled down, and so died, with his forefeet doubled under
him.
She came running back to me, full of savage joy at her Success, and put
her arm under my shoulder and told me to come. Slowly, fast as I could,
I went with her to our prey.
We butchered our buffalo as Auberry had showed me, from the backbone
down, as he sat dead on his forearms, splitting the skin along the
spine, and laying it out for the meat to rest upon. Again I made a fire
by shooting a tow wad into such tinder as we could arrange from my coat
lining, having dried this almost into flame by a burning-glass I made
out of a watch crystal filled with water, not in the least a weak sort
of lens.
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