THE WASTEFUL WEST 



perhaps, he now and then killed for the hide alone, 

 though he execrated, and abolished as effectually as 

 he could, all the white skin-hunters, as soon as he 

 learned they were killing off the buffalo and taking 

 nothing but the hides. 



The Indian robes traded for were, in the earlier 

 days, practically all dressed robes, and the Indian 

 tan was better than any the white man could ever 

 make. The Indian process of tanning consisted of 

 scraping the hide close with one of those absurdly 

 inefficient-looking little bone-handled hoes or scrap- 

 ers which we see in museums now, then working it 

 hour after hour over a log or beam, or over a twisted 

 sinew rope, the flesh side being covered with clay 

 and grease and buffalo brains. A very large robe 

 was hard to handle in this way, so sometimes the 

 Indian lady operating would split it down the middle 

 of the back and tan the two pieces separately. A 

 great many scientists have been unable to tell the 

 origin of the Indian practice of splitting the buffalo 

 robe and then sewing it together again. The answer 

 was easy to those who knew about it. 



Sometimes a hunter, red or white, who was alone 

 and had killed a buffalo, found that the beast had 

 lain down to die with his forelegs doubled back 

 under him, and had not fallen over on his side. This 

 suggested one form of butchering work not unusual 



