ALONG FOUR-FOOTED TRAILS 



shortly to be the sad fate of all their kind. The 

 carrion birds feasted and the odor of decaying 

 flesh tainted the air." 



The buffalo was indispensable to the plains 

 Indian in his natural state. It furnished his 

 principal article of food, while the robes were 

 used for his lodge, his clothing, his saddles and 

 his bedding ; the skin scraped free from the hair 

 was cut in strips and was made to serve as lariats 

 and lassoes. The horns and bones were con- 

 verted into spoons, knives and other useful 

 articles. There were a number of ways in which 

 the Indians killed the buffalo. One method was 

 to surround them. They would mount their best 

 trained " buffalo horses " and armed with bow and 

 arrow but later, when white men invaded their 

 domain, with firearms obtained from them ride 

 around gradually enclosing the herd when in a 

 surprisingly short time and with comparatively 

 few accidents they would bring the entire mass of 

 unfortunate animals to the ground. At other 

 times they would indulge in the sport of racing 

 for them on their fleetest ponies, or disguised 

 under buffalo robes or wolf skins creep amidst 

 the wondering unsuspecting herd. The stupid 



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