158 The Bison 



are going in all directions, and many wounds 

 occur in the hands and fingers, but are rarely 

 attended to at this time. The pipe of one man 

 has perhaps given out, and with his bloody hands 

 he takes the one of his nearest companion, who 

 has his own hands equally bloody. Now one 

 breaks in the skull of the bull, and with bloody 

 fingers draws out the hot brains and swallows 

 them with peculiar zest ; another has now 

 reached the liver, and is gobbling down enor- 

 mous pieces of it ; while perhaps a third, who 

 has come to the paunch, is feeding luxuriously 

 on some — to me — disgusting-looking offal. 

 But the main business proceeds. The flesh is 

 taken off from the sides of the boss, or hump 

 bones, from where these bones begin to the very 

 neck, and the hump itself is thus destroyed. 

 The hunters gave the name of ' hump ' to the 

 mere bones when slightly covered by flesh ; and 

 it is cooked, and is very good when fat, young, 

 and well broiled. The pieces of flesh taken 

 from the sides of these bones are called filets, 

 and are the best portion of the animal when 

 properly cooked. The forequarters, or shoulders, 

 are taken off, as well as the hind ones, and the 

 sides, covered by a thin portion of flesh, called 



