BUFFALO SINKING IN QUICKSANDS. 35 



Throughout the western country there are numerous 

 quicksands, and frequently unfortunates get embedded 

 in them. It appears in such cases that, without exert- 

 ing themselves, they submit to their fate. I have 

 formed this conclusion from having, unseen, perceived 

 a bull get into such a scrape. I watched him. Inch by 

 inch he kept sinking ; still I felt convinced that a pro- 

 tracted, energetic struggle would take him across to terra 

 fir ma ; yet no such effort did he make. Thoroughly 

 believing that his earthly course was run, I advanced 

 to have a closer survey of the finale. The unfortunate 

 did not see me till within a few yards ; but when he 

 did, his habitual fear of man predominated over all 

 other feelings ; again and again he plunged forward. 

 Dread of my proximity had given him strength and 

 endurance ; for, after a few minutes, his feet got on 

 soundingSj from which the margin was gained, and the 

 brute was once more free. I think this apathy to 

 death in certain forms is common to the majority of 

 animals. 



The dangers attending the chase of this noble game 

 are very much overrated. True, a horse may put his 

 foot in the burrow of a wolf, swift fox, or prairie 

 dog, and send his rider skyrocketing. The result 

 may be a broken neck, or, if such a fall took 

 place when in the centre of a large herd, trampling to 

 death might be possible ; but I am convinced, from 

 long personal experience, that, so long as the game 

 can keep going, they will seldom or never turn on 

 pursuing man. At the same time, if you fire at a 

 buffalo as you ride past him, without much changing 

 the direction they are pursuing, he or she may slightly 

 deviate towards the pursuer. However, your bridle 



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