24 Introductory 



Canadian Northwest, but even here the set- 

 tlers took toll of them as they went, so that 

 to-day buffalo bones are almost as much a 

 landmark on the prairies of Saskatchewan 

 as in Montana. Farther and farther north 

 the poor fugitives fled, putting on longer, 

 thicker coats as they went, to meet the rigor 

 of the northern climate, until to-day per- 

 haps a hundred bison, known as the Wood 

 Buffalo, are to be found in the Peace River 

 district of Athabasca, the humiliated Lord 

 of the Plains taking refuge in the lonely 

 land of the Muskeg. 



To the Indian the buffalo was not only 

 the staff of life, being his most easily ob- 

 tainable meat for the entire year, but also 

 out of his massive hulk came nearly all of 

 the red man's utensils, his weapons, his 

 garments and his shelter. So was it any 

 wonder that the Pawnees said that " through 

 the bison and the corn we worship the 

 father," or that in some way the buffalo en- 



