The Last of the Buffalo 



short intervals, or bushes were stuck in 

 the ground, forming the wings of a V-- 

 shaped chute, which would guide any ani- 

 mals running down the chute to its angle 

 above the piskun. When a herd of buffalo 

 were feeding near at hand, the people 

 prepared for the hunt, in which almost 

 the whole camp took part. It is com- 

 monly stated that the buffalo were driven 

 into the piskun by mounted men, but this 

 is not the case. They were not driven, 

 but led ; and they were led by an appeal 

 to their curiosity. The man who brought 

 them was usually the possessor of a " buf- 

 falo rock," a talisman which was believed 

 to give him greater power to call the 

 buffalo than was had by others. The 

 previous night was spent by this man in 

 praying for success in the enterprise of 

 the morrow. The help of the Sun, Ndpi, 

 and all Above People was asked for, and 

 sweet grass was burned to them. Early 

 in the morning, without eating or drink- 

 ing, the man started away from the camp, 

 and went up on the prairie. Before he 

 left the lodge he told his wives that they 

 must not go out, or even look out, of the 

 lodge during his absence. They should 

 stay there, and pray to the Sun for his 

 success, and burn sweet grass until he 

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