The Last of the Buffalo 



and then with his knife gave it its death- 

 stroke. Or a man might find himself in 

 a position of comical danger, as did "The 

 Trader" who was thrown from his horse 

 on to the horns of a bull without being 

 injured. One of the horns passed under 

 his belt and supported him, and at the 

 same time prevented the bull from tossing 

 him. In this way he was carried for some 

 distance on the animal's head, when the 

 belt gave way and he fell to the ground 

 unhurt, while the bull ran on. There 

 were occasions when buffalo or horses fell 

 in front of horsemen riding at full run, 

 and when a fall was avoided only by leap- 

 ing one's horse over the fallen animal. In 

 the buffalo chase of old days it was well 

 for a man to keep his wits about him ; 

 for, though he might run buffalo a thou- 

 sand times without accident, the moment 

 might come when only instant action 

 would save him his life, or at least an 

 ugly hurt. 



In the early days of the first Pacific 

 Railroad, and before the herds had been 

 driven back from the track, singular hunt- 

 ing parties were sometimes seen on the 

 buffalo range. These hunters were capital- 

 ists connected with the newly constructed 

 roads ; and some of them now for the first 



248 



