The Boy Hunters

Go with me to the great river Mississippi. It is the longest river in the world. A line that would measure it would just reach to the centre of the earth,--in other words, it is...

In 1815 was fought the famous battle of Waterloo, and in the same year Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled to the island-rock of Saint Helena. Many French officers, who had followed t...

It is a lovely morning in Spring as we approach their dwelling. We enter the lawn by a side-gate. We need not go into the house, for there is no one within doors. The weather is...

It was full three weeks before Hugot returned. They were a long three weeks to the old Colonel,--who was troubled with apprehensions that Hugot would not succeed in his errand....

Our young adventurers turned their faces westward, and were soon riding under the shadows of majestic woods. At this time there were few white settlements west of the Mississipp...

Francois soon finished dressing his pigeons, and plunged them into the boiling-water. A piece of dried meat was added, and then some salt and pepper, drawn from the store-bag, f...

The next encampment of our hunters was upon the Bayou Crocodile. This, like all the bayous of Louisiana, is a sluggish stream, and here and there expands itself into large ponds...

The boys now returned to their tent, impressed with curious feelings by the scene they had just witnessed. They lay down upon the grass, and entered into a conversation, of whic...

"There is, perhaps, no part of America where the alligators grow to a greater size, and are more fierce in their nature, than upon the Magdalena, and other great rivers that run...

After leaving Bayou Crocodile, our young hunters travelled due west, over the prairies of Opelousas. They did not expect to fall in with buffalo on these great meadows. No. The...

Directly in front of the tent, and at no great distance from it, a thick network of vines stretched between two trees. These trees were large tupelos, and the vines, clinging fr...

Basil returned, bringing with him the great bird. It was a female--as Lucien knew--and one of the largest, being over twelve pounds in weight, and measuring seven feet between t...

Our travellers next morning resumed their journey, and for several days continued on without meeting any incident worth recording. They crossed many large streams, among which m...

"Come on!" cried Basil, putting the spur to his horse, and riding forward. "Come on! It isn't so bad a case after all--a good fat turkey for dinner, eh? Come on!"

They rode in a direct line to the spot where they had started in pursuit of the turkeys. From this place Francois had taken to the left; but there were many tracks leading in th...

Next morning they were astir at an early hour; and, after giving the remains of the gobbler a hurried "devilling," they ate them, and rode off on the back trail. They did not pu...

The place where our adventurers now encamped was in a large grove of white oaks and shell-bark hickory-trees. There was a spring near the centre of the grove, and near this spri...

The three brothers slept lying along the ground within a few feet of one another. Their tent was gone, and, of course, they were in the open air. They were under a large spreadi...

All three--old bear and cubs--now lay stretched along the grass dead as may be. A rare-looking trio they were. The old one could not have weighed less than five hundred pounds....

When night came again the young hunters went to sleep by the fire. As it had suddenly grown chilly, they lay with their feet towards it, such being the usual practice of hunters...

That expectation, however, was a vain one. Poor lads! they little thought what was before them. Their nerves were to be tried still farther, and by as severe a test as they had...

Their route led them through one of those lovely landscapes which are met with only in this southern region--_a flower-prairie_. They travelled in the midst of flowers. Flowers...

"There must be buffalo in this neighbourhood," said Basil, looking to the ground as they rode on. "These `chips' are very fresh. They cannot have lain for many days. See! there...

Black Hawk strayed off to some distance in search of grass, for the latter was scanty near the spot; and what there was of it had been eaten as close to the ground, as if a thou...

Conversing in this way, the young hunters rode on, keeping as far from the edges of the mounds as possible, lest the hoofs of their horses might sink in the excavated ground. Th...

The "butte" was one of those singular formations to be met with in the Great American Desert. It was not a mountain nor yet a hill. Its shape was different from either. It was m...

They had not rested more than five minutes, when their attention was again attracted to the prairie. Another herd of antelopes! Strange to say, it was; and, like the former, the...

This night they were not permitted to sleep without interruption. Two or three times their horses bounded about at the end of their trail-ropes, frightened by some prowling anim...

The young hunters now laid aside their guns, drew their knives, and skinned the cimmarons with the dexterity of practised "killers." They then cut up the meat, so as the more co...

For hours they sat upon their painful perch--now glancing downward at the fierce gaoler that watched unweariedly below--now gazing out upon the plain, where the dusky droves sti...

They turned their horses' heads westward. It was their intention to travel in that direction, until they should strike the tracks of the buffaloes, when they would turn to the n...

They conversed about the vultures, as they rode away from the butte. The naturalist of the party had much to say of these picturesque birds; and the curiosity of Basil and Franc...

Our young travellers had now arrived upon the great buffalo-path. Without halting, they turned their horses to the right, and followed the trail. It led directly towards the nor...

Next morning the boy hunters were up and stirring at the "peep of day." They felt refreshed and cheerful. So did their animals, for the grass was good. Jeanette was frisking abo...

That day our hunters dined, for the first time, on fresh buffalo-beef. After dinner they were not idle, but spent the remainder of the evening in drying a portion of the meat ov...