26 THE OX TRIBE. 



terror, but the crowd behind, who are terrified by the 

 approaching hunters, rush forward with increasing im- 

 petuosity, and the aggregate force hurls them succes- 

 sively into the gulf, where certain death awaits them. 



Sometimes they are taken by the following method : 

 A great number of men divide and form a vast square ; 

 each band then sets fire to the dry grass of the savannah, 

 where the herds are feeding ; seeing the fire advance on 

 all sides, they retire in great consternation to the centre 

 of the square ; the men then close and kill them without 

 the least hazard. 



Great numbers are also taken in pounds, constructed 

 with an embankment of such an elevation as to prevent 

 the return of the Bisons when once they are driven into 

 it. A general slaughter then takes place with rifles or 

 arrows. 



The following vivid sketch is from the narrative of 

 John Tanner, who, when about seven or eight years of 

 age, was stolen from his parents by the Indians, and 

 remained with them during a period of thirty years. 



" By the end of the second day after we left Pembinah 

 we had not a mouthful to eat, and were beginning to be 

 very hungry. When we laid down in our camp (near 

 Craneberry River) at night, and put our ears close to 

 the ground, we could hear the tramp of the buffaloes, 

 but when we sat up we could hear nothing ; and on the 

 following morning nothing could be seen of them ; 

 though we could command a very extensive view of the 

 prairie. As we knew they must not be far off in the 

 direction of the sounds we had heard, eight men, of whom 

 I was one, were selected and dispatched to kill some, 

 and bring the meat to a point where it was agreed the 



