THE BISON OR AMERICAN BUFFALO. 9 



latter were destroyed first, about 1878 ; the 

 former not until 1883. My own chief ex- 

 perience with buffaloes was obtained in the 

 latter year, among small bands and scattered 

 individuals, near my ranch on the Little Mis- 

 souri ; I have related it elsewhere. But two of 

 my kinsmen were more fortunate, and took 

 part in the chase of these lordly beasts when 

 the herds still darkened the prairie as far as 

 the eye could see. 



During the first two months of 1877, mv 

 brother Elliott, then a lad not seventeen years 

 old, made a buffalo-hunt toward the edge of 

 the Staked Plains in northern Texas. He 

 was thus in at the death of the southern herds ; 

 for all, save a few scattering bands, were de- 

 stroyed within two years of this time. He 

 was with my cousin, John Roosevelt, and they 

 went out on the range with six other adven- 

 turers. It was a party of just such young men 

 as frequently drift to the frontier. All were 

 short of cash, and all were hardy, vigorous 

 fellows, eager for excitement and adventure. 

 My brother was much the youngest of the 

 party, and the least experienced ; but he was 

 well-grown, strong and healthy, and very fond 

 of boxing, wrestling, running, riding, and 

 shooting ; moreover, he had served an appren- 

 ticeship in hunting deer and turkeys. Their 

 mess-kit, ammunition, bedding, and provisions 

 were carried in two prairie-wagons, each drawn 

 by four horses. In addition to the teams they 

 had six saddle-animals all of them shaggy, 

 unkempt mustangs. Three or four dogs, set- 



