The Last of the Buffalo 



horns. The bear struck at the bull, and 

 tried to catch him by the head or shoul- 

 ders, and to hold him ; but this he could 

 not do. After fifteen or twenty minutes of 

 fierce and active fighting the bear had re- 

 ceived all the punishment he cared for, and 

 tried to escape ; but the bull would not let 

 him go, and kept up the attack until he 

 had killed his adversary. Even after the 

 bear was dead the bull would gore the car- 

 cass, and sometimes lift it clear of the 

 ground on his horns. He seemed insane 

 with rage, and, notwithstanding the fact 

 that most of the skin was torn from his 

 head and shoulders, appeared to be looking 

 about for something else to fight. The 

 Indian was very much afraid lest the bull 

 should discover and kill him, and was 

 greatly relieved when he finally left the 

 bear and went off to join his band. This 

 Blackfoot had never heard of Uncle Re- 

 mus's tales ; but he imitated Brer Rabbit 

 lay low and said nothing. 



To the Indians the buffalo was the staff 

 of life. It was their food, clothing, dwell- 

 ings, tools. The needs of a savage people 

 are not many, perhaps ; but whatever the 

 Indians of the plains had, that the buffalo 

 gave them. It is not strange, then, that 

 this animal was reverenced by most plains 



226 



