THE BISON, OR BUFFALO. 277 



That evening, when the "fire-water" which 

 washed down the buffalo meat had driven away that 

 apathy which is the characteristic of the Indian 

 character, an extraordinary spectacle excited our 

 astonishment. Men and women began to dance in 

 the wildest and most fantastic style, with strange 

 contortions that recalled to mind the hamhoulas of 

 the negroes of Louisiana. There was no music to 

 accompan}^ this bacchanal dance, except a few 

 hoarse voices chanting a jerking kind of melody, 

 which served as the theme for the modulated varia- 

 tions which were sung ad libit urn by the dancers. 

 There was indeed a solitary guitar in front of our 

 tent, badly played enough, but still charming to the 

 miaccustomed ears of the Sioux. I shall narrate 

 the history of this guitar presently ; but, for the 

 present, let us return to the buffaloes. 



I do not think it would be very serviceable to 

 wear}'- the reader with an account of the form, size, 

 and habits of this royal member of the bovine race. 

 Buffon and Audubon have described the creature 

 thoroughly, and I shall confine myself to a few 

 points which ought to be well known to the hunter. 



There are few animals so tenacious of life as the 

 buffalo ; unless he be hit in the lungs, or has his spinal 

 cord broken, it is difficult to kill him. Sometimes 

 even when he has been mortally wounded in the 

 heart, he retains a sufficient amount of vital force 

 to get away, and die an immense distance off, 



