In Buffalo Days 



half as far as before, and again stopped. 

 Three or four other shots drove him by 

 shorter and shorter rushes up the bluffs, until 

 at length he would go no further, and subse- 

 quent shots only caused him to shake his 

 head angrily. Plainly he had climbed until 

 his wind had given out, and now he would 

 stand and fight. Our fun was over, and look- 

 ing back as we floated down the river, our 

 last glimpse was of the old bull, still standing 

 on his shelf, waiting with lowered head for 

 the unknown enemy that he supposed was 

 about to attack him. 



It is not only under the stress of circum- 

 stances that the bison climbs. The mountain 

 buffalo is almost as active as the mountain 

 sheep, and was often found in places that 

 tested the nerve and activity of a man to 

 reach ; and even the buffalo of the plains had 

 a fondness for high places, and used to climb 

 up on to broken buttes or high rocky points. 

 In recent years I have often noticed the same 

 habit among range cattle and horses. 



The buffalo were fond of rolling in the 

 dirt, and to this habit, practised when the 

 ground was wet, are due the buffalo wallows 



167 



