76 ACCESSIBLE FIELD SPORTS. 



keep going, they will seldom or never turn on pur- 

 suing 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 

 hand should invariably sheer your steed from the 

 quarry, not only to avoid this deviation, but to clear 

 the animal if it drop to shot. The majority of horses 

 accustomed to this work do so of their own accord. At 

 the same time I should particularly caution the tyro 

 that on himself and his own nerve he should invariably 

 rely, not on that of his dumb companion. To be a 

 good horseman of course is particularly desirable, and 

 the person who can ride bare-back will often come in 

 for a run when a saddle may not be at hand. Many of 

 us of course can ride in this primitive manner ; but there 

 are very few Americans or Europeans who can com- 

 pare for a moment in this respect with the Indians 

 they appear so perfectly at home on their horses' backs : 

 anywhere and everywhere they place themselves, and 

 but seldom get a fall. Many a fat cow I have killed 

 without saddle. However, the paces of horses are so 

 very different, that some I used for running buffalo 

 I preferred riding with blanket and a surcingle ; on 

 others I did not feel sufficiently at home without 

 the saddle. For some months I had an under- sized 



