﻿322 PICTORIAL MISCELLANY. 



pended on as true. Rough and uncultivated as he was, I soon dis- 

 covered that within his manly heart dwelt that scorn and hatred of 

 deliberate falsehood, which at once gave me implicit confidence in 

 bis assertions. And so it should be. If there is one sinful habit, 

 which may be looked upon as especially mean and characteristic of 

 the enemy of all good, it is lying. 



About the middle of the winter, when the snow was the deepest, 

 a large herd of buffaloes was seen approaching the fort, from the 

 opposite side of the river. Of course there was a great stir in the 

 village among the Indians, as, for many months, no herds had come 

 near their dwellings. Every warrior armed himself with his spear, 

 his bow and quiver, and, having fastened a pair of snow-shoes upon 

 his feet, the company sallied forth to meet the huge animals, which 

 were wallowing through the snow, bellowing and snorting in a most 

 furious manner. The snow-shoes of the Indians are made in a great 

 number of forms, from two and a half to three feet in length, and 

 one foot in breadth. Hoops are bent round for the frame, and under- 

 neath is stretched the skin of a buffalo like the head of a drum, 

 while the frame over this is woven across with strings of raw hide, 

 on which the feet rest, and to which they are fastened like a skate. 

 By the aid of these light shoes, the Indian runs over the surface of 

 the snow, while the great weight of the buffaloes sinks them down 

 to the middle of their sides, and almost stops their progress, which 

 renders them certain victims to the spear of their pursuers. 



As soon as the herd which I have mentioned arrived opposite 

 the village, the whole party of warriors rushed towards them, with 

 the most frightful and terrific yells, and, for the space of half an 

 hour, a sad butchery took place among them. No less than forty of 

 the poor beasts were destroyed, and after the Indians had stripped 

 off their hides and a very small portion of their flesh to dry, their 

 carcasses were left to be devoured by the wolves. It is painful to 

 witness the waste that is made of these noble animals. It is true the 

 present numbers in which they roam over the whole of the country 

 is almost incredible, yet it is also true that thousands upon thousands 

 are slain every year merely for the tongues, which are cut out, and 

 the rest of the animal left to decay upon the prairie. The cut 



