178 JOURNEY TO THE SHORES 
him, he stops, and keeps quite motionless, until 
their eyes are turned in another direction ; by 
this cautious proceeding a skilful person will get 
so near as to be able to kill two or three out of 
the herd. It will easily be imagined this service 
cannot be very agreeable when the thermometer 
stands 30° or 40° below: zero, as sometimes hap- 
pens in this country. 
As we were returning from the tents, the dogs 
that were harnessed to three sledges, in one of 
which Mr. Back was seated, set off in pursuit of 
a buffalo-calf. Mr. Back was speedily thrown 
from his vehicle, and had to join me in my horse- 
cariole. Mr. Herriot, having gone to recover the 
dogs, found them lying exhausted beside the 
calf, which they had baited until it was as ex- 
hausted as themselves. Mr. Herriot, to shew 
us the mode of hunting on horseback, as the 
traders term it, running of the buffalo, went in 
chase of a cow, and killed it after firing three 
shots. 
The buffalo is a huge and shapeless animal, 
quite devoid of grace or beauty; particularly 
awkward in running, but by no means slow; 
when put to his speed, he plunges through the 
deep snow very expeditiously ; the hair is dark 
brown, very shaggy, curling about the head, neck, 
and hump, and almost covering the eye, particu- 
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