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66 



THE AMEPJCAN BlSOiS^S. 



them during falls of rain, affording grateful supplies of this important ele- 



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ment to the various animals of the region^ as well as often to man, these 

 pools usually lasting for several days, or until slowly evaporated by the sun. 

 The American bison, like the other species of the bovine group, is charac- 

 terized by a rather sluggish disposition, and is by no means remarkable for 

 alertness or sagacity, being not only unwieldy in bulk, but also "the stupid- 



If 



est animal of the plains." As Colonel Dodge has remarked, "his enormous 

 bulk, shao-o-y mane, vicious eye, and sullen denieanor give him an appear- 

 ance of ferocity very foreign to his nature. Dangerous as he looks, he is^ in 

 truth, a very mild, inoffensive beast, timid and fearful, and rarely attacking 

 but in the last hopeless effort of self-defence. The domestic cattle of Texas, 



miscalled name,' are fifty times more dangerous to footmen than the fiercest 



bufflilo Endowed with the smallest possible amount of instinct, the 



little he has seems adapted rather for getting him into difficulties than out 

 of them. If not alarmed at sight or smell of a foe, he will stand stupidly 

 gazing at his companions in their death-throes, until the whole herd is shot 

 down. He will walk unconsciously into a quicksand or quagmire already 

 choked with struggling, dying victims. Having made up his mind to go a 

 certain way, it is almost impossible to swerve him from his purpose. . . . . 

 When travellin;^ nothing in his front stops him, but an unusual object in his 



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rear will send him to the about at the top of his speed. 



In illustration of this curious habit of the buffalo to rush into the most ap 

 parent danger. Colonel Dodge relates the following : "The winter of 1871 

 was unusually severe in Arkansas. The ponds and smaller streams to the 

 north were all frozen solid, and the buffalo Avere forced to the rivers for water. 



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The Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Kailroad was then in process of con- 

 struction, and nowhere could this peculiarity of the buffalo of which I am 

 speaking be better studied than from its trains. If a herd was on the north 

 side of the track it would stand stupidly gazing and without symptom of 

 alarm though the locomotive passed within a hundred yards. If on the 

 south side of the track, even though at a distance of one or two miles from 

 it, the passage of a train set the whole herd in the wildest commotion. At 

 its full speed, and utterly regardless of consequences, it would make for the 

 track, on its line of retreat. If the train happened not to be in its path it 



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crossed the track, and stopped satisfied. If the train was in the way, each 

 individual buffalo went at it with the desperation of despair, plunging against 



* Chicago Inter-Ocean^ August 5, 1875. 



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