ON THE PRAIRIL 1 1 1 



numbers for the sake of the phosphates they 

 yield ; and Bad Lands, plateaus, and prairio 

 alike, are cut up in all directions by the deep 

 ruts which were formerly buffalo trails. 



These buffalo trails were made by the 

 herds travelling strung out in single file, and 

 invariably taking the same route each time 

 they passed over the same piece of ground. 

 As a consequence, many of the ruts are 

 worn so deeply into the ground that a horse- 

 man riilin^ along one strikes his stirrups on 

 the earth. In moving through very broken 

 country they are often good guides; for 

 though buffalo can go easily over the rough- 

 est places, they prefer to travel where it is 

 smooth, and have a remarkable knack at 

 finding out the best passage down a steep 

 ravine, over a broken cliff, or along a divide. 

 In a pass, or, as it is called in the West, 

 "draw," between two feeding grounds, 

 through which the buffalo were fond of go- 

 ing, fifteen or twenty deep trails may be 

 seen ; and often, where the great beasts have 

 travelled in parallel files, two ruts will run 



