206 SPORTING ADVENTURES IN THE FAR WEST. 



at first; but under the best of conditions it is anything but 

 agreeable. I have been forced to eat it for want of some- 

 thing better on a few occasions ; but whether it was made 

 of the flesh of the mountain sheep, wild goat, or buffalo, it 

 seemed to have the same flavor, differing only in various 

 degrees of nastiness. The berries which it contains are in- 

 tended to give it a sharp, sour taste, to counterbalance the 

 nauseousness of the stale fat and the insipidity of the lean 

 meat. The flesh of the buffalo is highly prized by some 

 amateur sportsmen, on the principle, I suppose, that it is 

 considered to have a gamy flavor, and to be therefore a 

 dish fit for the gods ; but I could never take kindly to it 

 unless it was unusually tender, or I was very hungry. The 

 tongue and hump are considered to be the most delicate 

 parts, and many sportsmen will not eat any other. They 

 do not, however, in my estimation, deserve the encomiums 

 bestowed upon them. They are the best parts, it is true, 

 but they cannot compare in succulency, flavor, or nutritive 

 qualities with a good beefsteak, though I doubt if any 

 steak ever tasted so well to a hungry hunter as they do 

 after he has been on the prairies a few days or w r eeks. The 

 cows and calves are much more palatable than the bulls; 

 hence, the man who supplies his house with buffalo-meat 

 selects them as a first choice whenever he can. They are 

 also easier to kill than the males, though they too will of- 

 ten carry an enormous load of lead before falling. I have 

 known an old bull to be perforated with fourteen bullets, 

 and escape after all ; and I saw a cow pierced with ten bul- 

 lets, which were scattered all over her body, run for three 

 miles, and fall only when she broke her leg by treading in 

 the hole of a prairie-dog. The head is the worst place to 

 aim at, as it is covered with a dense plastron of matted 

 hair, which seems to absorb the ball before it reaches the 

 skull, unless the rifle is of heavy calibre, or it is fired at 

 close range. A twelve-bore is a capital weapon for buffa- 

 lo-shooting, but it seems too inconvenient for use on horse- 

 back. In running them, I have found a large revolver a 

 good weapon, as it is compact, and will kill readily at close 



