I90 THE OX FAMILY 



drive them to camp before killing them. Colonel Dodge 

 tells of some Mexicans who had a goodly lot of skins 

 in their camp, and who told him all their buffaloes were 

 driven in before they were killed, since it "saved a 

 heap of trouble packing the meat to camp." Grinnell 

 tells of a long run with a companion when they deferred 

 the killing until they reached a trail where their wagon 

 would pass. I had heard of a buffalo being run into a 

 small Western post and chased about the parade 

 ground, and one day when we were travelling down 

 the valley of the Yellowstone I determined to try and 

 take a bison into camp. I had an escort of five soldiers 

 and arranged to place three of them on the right just 

 outside the cotton-woods, which grew along the stream, 

 and two behind as drivers, while I (better mounted 

 than the others) undertook to make good the left and 

 keep our buffalo from getting to the hills. VVe were to 

 camp at a spring by a little banner-shaped tree, which 

 could be seen for a good distance. I knew the place 

 well, having camped there a few weeks before. It was 

 not long before we found a fine old bull, separated 

 somewhat from the herd, and soon had him going full 

 tilt down the valley. I had ordered the loads with- 

 drawn from the rifles, since I was determined the game 

 should not be killed under any circumstances until it 

 had been driven into or through the camp. The men 

 were instructed, in case of a charge by the bull, to 

 retreat, holding their relative positions, so that the bull 

 would be surrounded at all times, excepting in the 

 direction we desired him to go. At the outset the 

 buffalo ran off at full speed, heading down the valley, 

 and we galloped along at short distances from him, the 



