254 The Lordly B^lff : alo. 



and ever afterward became unmanageable and tore off at 

 sight or smell of a buffalo. It is said that the few buffalo 

 left in the country through which the head waters of the 

 Belle Fourche flow, have practically joined themselves to 

 the great herds of cattle now found all over that region. 



Buffalo are very easily tamed. On a neighboring 

 ranch there are four which were taken when very young 

 calves. They wander about with the cattle, and are quite 

 as familiar as any of them, and do not stray any farther 

 away. One of them was captured when a yearling, by the 

 help of a large yellow hound. The cowboy had been 

 chasing it some time and, finally, fearing it might escape, 

 hied on the hound, which dashed in, caught the buffalo by 

 the ear, and finally brought it down to its knees, when 

 the cowboy, by means of his lariat secured it, and, with the 

 help of a companion, managed to get it back to the ranch. 

 Buffalo can be trained to draw a wagon, and are valuable 

 for their great strength ; but they are very headstrong and 

 stupid. If thirsty, for instance, and they smell or see 

 water, it is absolutely impossible to prevent their going to 

 it, no matter if it is in such a place that they have to 

 upset the wagon to get down to it, nor how deep the mud 

 is. When tamed they do not seem to be as ferocious as 

 ordinary cattle that are allowed to go free ; but they are 

 such strong, blundering brutes that very few fences will 

 hold them. 



My men, in hunting buffalo, which was with them an 

 occasional occupation and not a regular pursuit, used light 

 Winchesters ; but the professional buffalo hunters carried 

 either 40-90 or 45-120 Sharps, than which there are in the 



