THE BISON OR AMERICAN BUFFALO, n 



place, a little village, or a rival buffalo-camp 

 is followed by the laconic remark, " big fight," 

 or " big row " ; but once they evidently con- 

 cluded discretion to be the better part of valor, 

 the entry for January 2oth being, " On the 

 road passed through Belknap too lively, so 

 kept on to the Brazos very late." The 

 buffalo-camps in particular were very jealous 

 of one another, each party regarding itself as 

 having exclusive right to the range it was the 

 first to find ; and on several occasions this 

 feeling came near involving my brother and 

 his companions in serious trouble. 



While slowly driving the heavy wagons to 

 the hunting grounds they suffered the usual 

 hardships of plains travel. The weather, as 

 in most Texas winters, alternated between the 

 extremes of heat and cold. There had been 

 little rain ; in consequence water was scarce. 

 Twice they were forced to cross wild, barren 

 wastes, where the pools had dried up, and 

 they suffered terribly from thirst. On the 

 first occasion the horses were in good con- 

 dition, and they travelled steadily, with only 

 occasional short halts, for over thirty-six 

 hours, by which time they were across the 

 waterless country. The journal reads : 

 "January 27th. Big hunt no water, and we 

 left Quinn's blockhouse this morning 3 A. M. 

 on the go all night hot. January 28. No 

 water hot at seven we struck water, and by 

 eight Stinking Creek grand * hurrah.' " On 

 the second occasion, the horses were weak 

 and travelled slowly, so the party went forty- 



