20 THE BISON. 



others from engaging in the pursuit, and dashes off 

 to seek new objects for destruction, until his quiver 

 is exhausted or the game has fled too far. 



Although there is an appearance of much confu- 

 sion in this engagement, and the same animal re- 

 ceives many arrows from different archers before 

 he is mortally wounded or despatched, yet as every 

 man knows his own arrows, and can estimate the 

 consequences of the wounds he has inflicted, few 

 quarrels ever occur as to the right of property in 

 the animal. A fleet horse well trained, runs paral- 

 lel with the bison at the proper distance, with the 

 reins thrown on his neck, turns as he turns, and does 

 not lessen his speed until the shoulder of the animal 

 is presented, and the mortal Wound has been given; 

 then by inclining to one side the rider directs him 

 towards another bison. Such horses are preserved 

 exclusively for the chase and are very rarely sub- 

 jected to the labour of carrying burdens.* 



The effect of training, on the Indian horses, is 

 well shown in a circumstance related by Lewis and 

 Clarke. A Serjeant had been sent forward with a 

 number of horses, and while en his way, came up 

 with a herd of bisons. As soon as the loose horses 

 discovered the herd, they immediately set oft* in 

 pursuit, and surrounded the bisons with almost as 

 much skill as if they had been directed by riders. 

 At length the sergeant was obliged to send two men 



Say, Long's Exp. to Rocky Mountains, v. 2. 



