In Buffalo Days 



The buffalo calf is born from April to June, 

 and at first is an awkward little creature, 

 looking much like a domestic calf, but with a 

 shorter neck. The hump at first is scarcely 

 noticeable, but develops rapidly. They are 

 odd-looking and very playful little animals. 

 They are easily caught and tamed when 

 quite young, but when a few months old they 

 become as shy as the old buffalo, and are 

 much more swift of foot. 



Although apparently very sluggish, buffalo 

 are really extremely active, and are able to 

 go at headlong speed over a country where 

 no man would dare to ride a horse. When 

 alarmed they will throw themselves down the 

 almost vertical side of a canon and climb the 

 opposite wall with cat-like agility. Some- 

 times they will descend cut banks by jumping 

 from shelf to shelf of rock like the mountain 

 sheep. To get at water when thirsty, they 

 will climb down bluffs that seem altogether 

 impracticable for such great animals. Many 

 years ago, while descending the Missouri 

 River in a flatboat with two companions, I 

 landed in a wide bottom to kill a mountain 

 sheep. As we were bringing the meat to the 

 "* 165 



