16 THE BISON. 



savages select the most favourable points for attack, 

 and as the bison approaches, the Indians leap with 

 wonderful agility over the frozen ice, to attack him, 

 and as the animal is necessarily unsteady, and his 

 footing very insecure on the ice, he soon receives 

 his death wound and is drawn triumphantly to the 

 shore. 



The Cree Indians make a bison-pound, by fenc- 

 ing a circular space of about a hundred yards in 

 diameter. The entrance is banked up with snow 

 sufficiently high to prevent the animals from re- 

 treating after they have once entered. For about 

 a mile on each side of the road leading to the pound, 

 stakes are driven into the ground at nearly equal 

 distances of about twenty yards, which are intend- 

 ed to look like men, and to deter the animals from 

 endeavouring to break through the fence. Within 

 fifty or sixty yards of the pound, branches of trees 

 are placed between the stakes to screen the Indians 

 who lie down behind them, to wait for the approach 

 of the bison. The mounted hunters display the 

 greatest dexterity in this sort of chase, as they are 

 obliged to manoeuvre around the herd in the plains 

 so as to urge them into the road-way, which is 

 about a quarter of a mile broad. When this is ef- 

 fected, the Indians raise loud shouts, and pressing 

 closely on the animals, terrify them so much, that 

 they rush heedlessly forwards towards the snare. 

 When they have advanced as far as the men who 

 are lying in ambush, they also show themselves in- 



