274 SPOKT IN NOKTH AMERICA. 



been thrown from his horse, was now attacked by a 

 bison with such fur}^, and so trampled upon and 

 tossed, as if his body was a mere plaything, that it 

 needed a broadside of three rifles to release the poor 

 wretch from his misery. 



The rapidity with which the Indians fired off 

 their guns was astonishing, and their manner of 

 loading was equally extraordinary. The first charge 

 was properly rammed down, but for the rest the 

 Sioux were content to pour in the powder, whilst 

 they held in their mouths three or four bullets, 

 which they dropped into the barrel one by one, 

 so anointed with saliva that they stuck to the 

 powder. 



The hunt after the cows lasted about twenty 

 minutes, and when the recall was sounded we 

 counted up the game, which was spread over a large 

 extent of ground. There were a hundred and forty- 

 nine buffaloes lying dead on the ground ; that is to 

 say, a hundred and seventeen bulls and thirty-two 

 cows. The latter are much more esteemed for 

 eating purposes than the males, whose flesh is hard, 

 meagre, and of musky flavour. The cow's meat, on 

 the contrary, is as fat as the best butcher's meat, 

 and under the skin there is a layer of fat at least 

 two inches thick. 



My friends Sears, Simonton, ajid Delmot, had 

 each killed their buffalo ; but Mr. Mead and myself 

 could only claim to have had a share in killing 



