CHAPTER XXI. 



" CREASING " WILD HORSES — MUGGS DISAPPOINTED — A FEAT FOR FICTIOJf — 

 HORSE AND MONKEY — HOOF WISDOM FOR TCEFMEN — PROSPECTIVE CLIMATIC 



CHANGES ON THE PLAINS — THE QUESTION OF SPONTANEOUS GENERATION 



WANTON SLAUGHTER OF BUFFALO AMOUNT OF ROBES AND MEAT ANNUALLY 



WASTED — A STRANGE HABIT OP THE BISON — NUMEROUS BILLS — THE " SNEAE 

 thief" OF THE PLAINS. 



WHILE we were at breakfast one morning, the 

 guide ran in to say that the herd of wild horses 

 which we had seen on Silver Creek, were feeding 

 toward us, a mile away. I left the table to obtain 

 a view of them, and by Abe's advice carried my 

 rifle, as he suggested that we might " crease " one 

 of them. This feat consists in hitting the upper 

 edge of the bones of the neck with a bullet, the blow 

 striking so high up that it will momentarily paralyze, 

 without fracturing. We had read of it often in tales 

 of Western daring, where the hero mounted the 

 prostrate steed, and, upon its return to consciousness, 

 escaped on its back from numberless difficulties and 

 hosts of Indians. 



A short distance out from camp, we turned and saw 



, Muggs following us with a saddle and bridle on his 



arm. He had suffered grievous wrong at the heels 



of his mule, and was bent on possessing himself of 



(30C) 



