1898] Prince— The Vanished Buffalo. 79 



wind. The ears are not prominent. The snout is wholly unlike 

 that of a horse, being blackish or dark grey, wet and shining^ 

 and so blunt and crinkled that it might be compared to the nose 

 of a bull-dog. It certainly reminds one less of a cow than of a 

 huge pug or bull-dog. I confess to a feeling of fear when 

 standing fifteen or twenty yards from the full grown bull. He 

 looked so much like a monstrous bull-dog, with no trace of 

 mildness or docility. When the whole herd raised their heads 

 and gazed at us the effect was not reassuring. They are not at 

 all trustworthy, and the cow-buffalo, when her calf is young, 

 is very fierce. They will not brook impediments or obstructions 

 and will throw such down rather than divert their course. The 

 massive skull, and the cushion of hair in the frontal region, en- 

 ables the buffalo to charge an obstruction without injury. They 

 are very obstinate, and a few weeks prior to our visit one of the 

 Silver Heights buffalo had to be shot. He got into the veget- 

 able garden, and was busy tearing up the beds and throwing 

 down the crop, and every means taken to stop his unruly pro- 

 ceedings failed. It was found impossible to eject him. He made 

 terrific rushes at the men who attempted to drive him out — 

 nothing could move him, and the only feasible course appeared 

 to be a dose of lead. When the herd are disturbed they gallop 

 off in a straight line. Nothing can turn them aside. They never 

 tire, but go on and on with their tongues hanging out like 

 monstrous dogs, and no horse has sufficient endurance to keep 

 up with them in a lengthened run. They are said to bellow at 

 times like a bull ; but as a rule are perfectly silent. When 

 wounded, especially by a shot breaking one of their legs, they 

 endeavor to rise and charge at the hunter, snorting fiercely 

 and glaring in the most savage manner. Many a hunter has 

 been awed by the splendid fury of the wounded buffalo ; but 

 unless the region of the heart or some vital part were penetrated, 

 bullet after bullet might be discharged at the head or shoulders 

 without effect. In early days when the Indian pursued the buf- 

 falo with bow and arrow, instances were common, of an arrow 

 directed at the heart passing clean through the buffalo's body, 



