The Bison 135 



defence, and will stand by each other. But that 

 the bulls make it their business to defend calves, 

 or systematically preserve anything except their 

 own skins, I do not believe. 



Few people who have seen the buffalo only 

 in captivity, few even of those who have hunted 

 them on the level plains, have any idea of the 

 agility of this clumsy, heavy creature, or of 

 the disposition that it shows to reach elevated 

 points, so difficult of access that a horse might 

 find it a hard matter to climb them. In old 

 times, one might see buffalo ascending steeps 

 that were nearly vertical ; or, on the other hand, 

 throwing themselves down the sides of mountains 

 so sharply sloping and rough that a horseman 

 would not dare follow them. Like many other 

 animals, wild and tame, they often liked to 

 seek elevated points from which a wide view 

 might be had, and I have found their tracks 

 and other signs on points high up in the 

 mountains, where only sheep or goats would 

 be looked for. The mountain bison, so-called — 

 and by many hunters regarded as a species quite 

 distinct from the buffalo of the plains — was 

 especially given to frequenting the peaks in sum- 

 mer; no doubt in part to avoid the attacks of 



