A CRUEL PASTIME, 313 



and tlie meat. What would be thought of a hunter, 

 in any of the Western States, who shot quails and 

 chickens and left them where they fell? Every citi- 

 zen, whether sportsman or not, would join in outcry 

 against him. Another matter which the law should 

 regulate relates to the protection of the buffalo cows 

 until after the season when they have brought forth 

 their young. The calf will thrive, though weaned 

 by necessity at a very early age, and the season for 

 shooting cows, although short, would be amply long 

 enough to comport with the chances of future increase. 



Probably the most cruel of all bison-shooting 

 pastime, is that of firing from the cars. During cer- 

 tain periods in the spring and fall, when the large 

 herds are crossing the Kansas Pacific Railroad, the 

 trains run for a hundred miles or more among count- 

 less thousands of the shaggy monarchs of the plains. 

 The bison has a strange and entirely unaccountable 

 instinct or habit which leads it to attempt crossing in 

 front of any moving object near it. It frequently 

 happened, in the time of the old stages, that the 

 driver had to rein up his horses until the herd which 

 he had startled had crossed the road ahead of him. 

 To accomplish this feat, if the object of their fright 

 was moving rapidly, the animals would often run for 

 miles. 



When the iron-horse comes rushing into their soli- 

 tudes, and snorting out his fierce alarms, the herds, 

 though perhaps a mile away from his path, will lift 

 their heads and gaze intently for a few moments 

 toward the object thus approaching them with a roar 

 which causes the earth to tremble, and enveloped 



