FATHER 



278 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



of a little knot of 6 or 8 Buffalo. Approaching sufficiently near 

 to see clearly, he discovered that this little knot were all bulls, 

 standing in a close circle with their heads outwards, while in 

 a concentric circle at some 12 or 15 paces distant, sat, licking 

 their chops in impatient expectancy, at least a dozen large 

 Gray-wolves (excepting man, the most dangerous enemy of 

 the Buffalo). 

 THE "The doctor determined to watch the performance. 



After a few moments the knot broke up, and, still keeping in a 

 compact mass, started on a trot for the main herd, some half a 

 mile off. To his very great astonishment, the doctor now saw 

 that the central and controlling figure of this mass was a poor 

 little calf, so newly born as scarcely to be able to walk. After 

 going 50 to 100 paces the calf lay down, the bulls disposed 

 themselves in a circle as before, and the Wolves who had 

 trotted along on each side of their retreating supper, sat down 

 and licked their chops again; and so, though the doctor did not 

 see the finale, it being late and the camp distant, he had no 

 doubt that the noble fathers did their whole duty by their 

 offspring, and carried it safely to the herd." 



Fremont records a similar incident that he observed on the 

 Platte River in 1842. In this case, however, the Wolves were 

 too numerous for the would-be rescuer and the affair had a 

 tragic end: 



*' July 4. While we were at breakfast [he says ^^], a Buffalo 

 calf broke through the camp, followed by a couple of Wolves. 

 In its fright it had probably mistaken us for a band of Buffalo. 

 The Wolves were obliged to make a circuit around the camp, 

 so that the calf got a little to start, and strained every nerve to 

 reach a large herd at the foot of the hills, about 2 miles distant; 

 but first one, and then another, and another Wolf joined in the 

 chase, until his pursuers amounted to 20 or 30, and they ran 

 him down before he could reach his friends. There were a 

 few Bulls near the place, and one of them attacked the Wolves 

 and tried to rescue him; but was driven off immediately, and 

 the little animal fell an easy prey, half devoured before he was 



""Fremont's Epl. Exped., 1845, P- 22. 



