THE WOUNDED BUFFALO. 241 



witli old bits of iron, or old knife blades. Tbey 

 are rarely expert in loading or reloading guns, 

 (even if they have them,) but in the closely con- 

 tested race between their horse and the animal, 

 they prefer the rifle to the bow and arrow. 

 Other tribes follow them with patient persever- 

 ance on foot, until they come within shooting 

 distance, or kill them by stratagem. 



The Mandan Indians chase the buffalo in par- 

 ties of from twenty to fifty, and each man is 

 provided with two horses, one of which he rides, 

 and the other being trained expressly for the 

 chase, is led to the place where the buffaloes are 

 started. The hunters are armed with bows and 

 arrows, their quivers containing from thirty to 

 fifty arrows according to the wealth of the owner. 

 When they come in sight of their game, they 

 quit the horses on which they have ridden, 

 mount those led for them, ply the whip, soon 

 gain the flank or even the centre of the herd, 

 and shoot their arrows into the fattest, accord- 

 ing to their fancy. When a buffalo has been 

 shot, if the blood flows from the nose or mouth, 

 he is considered mortally wounded ; if not, they 

 shoot a second or a third arrow into the wounded 

 animal. 



The buffalo, when first started by the hunters, 

 carries his tail close down between the legs ; but 

 when wounded, he switches his tail about, espe- 

 -21 Q 



