120 GAME. 



unconcernedly into a quicksand or quagmire already 

 choked with struggling, dying victims. Having made up 

 his mind to go a certain way it is almost impossible to 

 divert him from his purpose. He is as timid about 

 his flanks and rear as a new recruit. When travelling, 

 nothing in his front stops him, but an unusual object in 

 his rear will send him to the right-about at the top of his 

 speed. 



In May 1871 1 drove in alight waggon from Old Fort 

 Zara to Fort Larned, on the Arkansas, thirty-four miles. 

 At least twenty-five miles of this distance was through 

 one immense herd, composed of countless smaller herds, 

 of buffalo then on their journey north. The road ran 

 along the broad level ' bottom,' or valley, of the river. 



Some few miles from Zara a low line of hills rise from 

 the plain on the right, gradually increasing in height, and 

 approaching the road and river, until they culminate in 

 Pawnee Bock, when they again recede. 



The whole country appeared one mass of buffalo, 

 moving slowly to the northward; and it was only when 

 actually among them that it could be ascertained that 

 the apparently solid mass was an agglomeration of 

 innumerable small herds, of from fifty to two hundred 

 animals, separated from the surrounding herds by greater 

 or less space, but still separated. The herds in the valley 

 sullenly got out of my way, and, turning, stared stupidly 

 at me, sometimes at only a few yards' distance. When I 

 had reached a point where the hills were no longer more 

 than a mile from the road, the buffalo on the hills, seeing 

 an unusual object in their rear, turned, stared an instant, 

 then started at full speed directly towards rne, stampeding 

 and bringing with them the numberless herds through 

 which they passed, and pouring down upon me all the 

 herds, no longer separated, but one immense compact mass 

 of plunging animals, mad with fright, and as irresistible as 

 an avalanche. The situation was by no means pleasant. 

 Eeining up my horse (which was fortunately a quiet 



