BUFFALO HUNTING. 75 



mires, and frequently unfortunates get imbedded ; it 

 appears, in such cases, that without exerting themselves 

 they submit to their fate. I have formed this con- 

 clusion 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 protracted, ener- 

 getic struggle would take him across to terra firma, 

 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 feel- 

 ings ; 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 soundings, 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 sky-rocketing on his head. The 

 result might 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 



