STORY OP A BUFFALO HUNT. 147 



debate arose whether we should fetch the wood to the 

 buffalo, or carry the buffalo to the wood. We thought 

 the latter easier. One of the party, named Turner, be- 

 gan to strip off the skin ; we offered to help him, but he 

 would not permit it; so, willingly leaving the cold work 

 to him, we made as good a fire as we could for him to 

 warm his hands by. When the skin was off, we cut off 

 the prime pieces, took the marrow-bones, packed them in 

 the skin, threw them over a horse, and brought them to 

 the nearest wood, where we luckily found water. Our 

 four tomahawks soon cut wood enough, and we made a 

 roaring fire ; when it was burnt to charcoal we stuck in 

 the marrow-bones, first one end, then the other ; and 

 certainly there is no more delicate eating for the back- 

 woodsman than buffalo marrow, except bear's ribs, and 

 wild honey. The meat w^as rather tough, and nothing 

 particular. 



"It was now getting dark, and we began to prepare 

 our camp. One of the party proposed, instead of each 

 rolling himself separately in his blanket, that we should 

 spread the skin, which was large enough to hold us all, 

 and then lay all the blankets over us. But Turner ob- 

 jected, and maintained that as he had skinned the cow 

 alone, he alone would sleep in it. It was all the same 

 to us; we all had good blankets, and could make our- 

 selves comfortable by the fire, which* we closely sur- 

 rounded, while Turner wrapped himself in his heavy skin, 

 with the hairy side inwards; and we were all soon 

 asleep. 



" The weather was extremely cold, and we were 

 obliged to get up several times in the course of the 



