THE BISON. 203 



ant habit of remainiug quietly in its lair until the unsuspecting traveller 

 passes closely to its place of concealment, and then leaping suddenly 

 upon him like some terrible monster of the waters, dripping with mud 

 and filled with rage. 



Many such tragical incidents have occurred — chiefly, it must be 

 acknowledged, owing to the imprudence of the sufferer — and there 

 are few coverts in Southern Africa whi(;h are not celebrated for some 

 aflTair of this kind. Sometimes the animal is so recklessly furious in 

 its unreasoning anger that it absolutely blinds itself by its heedless 

 rush through the formidable thorn-bushes which are so common in 

 Southern Africa. Even when in company with others of their own 

 species, they are liable to sudden bursts of emotion, and will rush 

 blindly on, heedless of everything but the impulse that drives them 

 forward. In one instance, the leader of the herd, being wounded, 

 dropped on his knees, and was instantly crushed by the tranjpling 

 hoofs of his comrades as they rushed over the prostrate body of their 

 chief. 



The Gape Buffalo, although so terrible an animal, is not so large as 

 the arnee, being little larger than an ordinary ox, but possessed of 

 much greater strength. The strangely-shaped horns are black in color, 

 and so large that the distance between their points is not unfrequeutly 

 from four to five feet. On account of their great width at their bases, 

 they form a kind of bony helmet, which is impenetrable to an ordinary 

 rausket-ball, and effectually defend their owner against the severe 

 shocks which are frequently suffered by these testy animals. 



The Bison is found only in Northern America, never appearing 

 north of lat. 33°. It gathers together in enormous herds, consisting of 

 many thousand in number, and, in spite of the continual persecution 

 to which it is subjected by man and beast, its multitudes are even now 

 hardly diminished. The Bison is one of the most valuable of animals 

 to the white hunter as well as to the aboriginal Red Indian, as its body 

 supplies him with almost every necessary of life. 



The flesh of the fat cow Bison is in great repute, being juicy, tender, 

 and well savored, and possesses the invaluable quality of not cloying 

 the appetite, even though it be eaten with the fierce hunger that is 

 generated by a day's hunting. The fat is peculiarly excellent, and is 

 said to bear some resemblance to the celebrated green fat of the turtle. 

 The most delicate portion of the Bison is the flesh that composes the 

 " hump " which gives to the animal's back so strange an aspect ; and 

 the hunters are so fond of this delicacy that they will often slay a mag- 

 nificent Bison merely for the sake of the hump, the tongue, and the 

 marrow-bones, leaving the remainder of the body to the wolves and 

 birds. 



The hide is greatly valued, both by Indians and civilized men, for 



