INDIANS ARE POOR SHOTS. 213 



canoes going in several directions at once, and 

 all on the save level; and when the loon would 

 emerge, bang! would go several guns, regard- 

 less where pointed, in the excitement. 



I call to memory one day in particular. At 

 the call of "loon!'' I took a seat on the gallery, 

 with the fixed resolve to count how many shots 

 would be fired, and this is the result of my tab. 



Twelve canoes put off from the camps, four 

 hours consumed in the killing, and ninety-six 

 shots were fired. 



This happened nearly forty years ago, when 

 powder sold, at that inland post, at a dollar a 

 pound; shot, thirty-three cents, and gun caps a 

 half a cent each, so the reader can redily see 

 that loon meat, under that way of hunting, was 

 expensive. 



We read of and are told about the great 

 slaughter the Indians used to make among the 

 buffalo in the good old days; but this success 

 was not to be attributed to their goods marks- 

 manship, because they killed these noble beasts 

 with their guns almost "boute touchant." 



One thing about their mode of loading and 

 firing might be interesting to readers of the 

 present day, inasmuch as a generation has been 

 born and has grown up since the last buffalo 

 roamed the plains. 



The Indians and half-breeds who went on 



