THE BISON 187 



buffaloes. There was some excitement in riding close up 

 to them on the open plain. I rather enjoyed killing 

 this monster bull, and the good shot at the smaller one 

 as he ran past earlier in the day. But we could not 

 possibly use the meat, not even all the tongues, and 

 the animals were usually killed while on the march and 

 at such times and places that it was impossible to 

 secure the robes. The sport soon became entirely 

 uninteresting and the killing inexcusable. I gave it 

 up, and often carried a double gun to shoot at the 

 grouse and the wild fowl as we jumped them in the 

 grass or from the streams. 



Some weeks later, on the lower Yellowstone, I again 

 shot a few buffaloes, more for the entertainment of 

 some ladies with whom I was travelling in an ambu- 

 lance than because I cared to kill the animals. 



By far the easiest way to kill buffaloes was to 

 stalk them when the ground was suitable. When they 

 were feeding on both sides of a little stream with high 

 banks, where there was little or no water, it was an easy 

 matter to get between the sections of the herd by follow- 

 ing the dry bed of the stream. Alarming the animals 

 on one side, the others would follow them as they made 

 off, taking the same course, and presenting the easiest 

 kinds of shots as they passed. 



I once shot a buffalo at close range on an open plain, 

 which bounded into the air as the ball struck him, and, 

 falling on his head, buried one horn deep in the ground. 

 He was dead when I reached him. 



Most persons who have shot buffaloes when they 

 were abundant will agree with me that the chase was ex- 

 citing enough for a short time, but that one soon tired of 



