BULLS 



290 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



driven out of the herd, and, becoming indifferent to the other 

 sex, remained more or less soUtary from choice. 



OLD These old bulls are rarely molested by hunters, human or 



brute. They are too tough for one to eat or for the other to 

 kill. But sometimes the Wolves, when hard pressed by hun- 

 ger, will unite in a large band and attack even an old bull, if 

 no better prey be in sight. Catlin was witness of several of 

 these terrific encounters and has left this description:''* 



*' During my travels in these regions I have several times 

 come across such a gang of these animals [Wolves] surround- 

 ing an old or a wounded bull, where it would seem, from ap- 

 pearances, that they had been for several days in attendance, 

 and at intervals desperately engaged in the effort to take his life. 

 But a short time since, as one of my hunting companions and 

 myself were returning to our encampment with our horses 

 loaded with meat, we discovered, at a distance, a huge bull 

 encircled with a gang of white Wolves. We rode up as near as 

 we could without driving them away, and, being within pistol 

 shot, we had a remarkably good view, where I sat for a few 

 moments and made a sketch in my note book, after which we 

 rode up and gave the signal for them to disperse, which they 

 instantly did, withdrawing themselves to the distance of fifty or 

 sixty rods, when we found, to our great surprise, that the animal 

 had made desperate resistance until his eyes were entirely 

 eaten out of his head, the grizzle of his nose was mostly gone, 

 his tongue was half eaten off, and the skin and flesh of his legs 

 torn almost literally into strings. In this tattered and torn 

 condition the poor old veteran stood bracing up in the midst 

 of his devourers, who had ceased hostilities for a few minutes, 

 to enjoy a sort of parley, recovering strength and preparing to 

 resume the attack in a few moments again. In this group some 

 were reclining to gain breath, whilst others were sneaking about 

 and licking their chops in anxiety for a renewal of the attack; 

 and others, less lucky, had been crushed to death by the feet 

 or the horns of the bull. I rode nearer to the pitiable object 



^N. A. Indians, Vol. I, pp. 257-8. 



