BEASTS OF PREY. 287 



United States Dragoons, purporting to give a description of the tlie huffalo 

 grass common to liie grand prairie. This grass was represented as g'row- 

 mg six or eight inches high, and as being abundant n the mountains, par- 

 ticularly of New Mexico, where (if I rightly remember) it was said it re- 

 mained green the entire winter. The truth of the matter is, buffalo grass 

 very rarely exceeds tivo and never attains four inches in height, — is not 

 found in the mountains at all, so far as my observation has extended, and 

 is green only about one month in the year ! 



By the way, speaking of grass reminds me of a remarkable characteristic 

 in some varieties indigenous to this country, and which will afford matter 

 of speculation to the inquiring mind. The blade, killed by the frost of 

 winter, is resuscitated in the spring and gradually becomes green from the 

 root up, without casting its stubble or emitting new shoots ! 



The skins obtained during my hunt found a ready sale, at prices ranging 

 from one to three dollars each, according their to quality and condition. 

 These articles were in great demand for the manufacture of clothing among 

 the Fort hands, and are considered far preferable to cloth. 



Nov. lOlh. I again returned to the mountains, heading a small party 

 that insisted upon bearing me company. Late in the afternoon of the se- 

 cond day we made camp in a valley, behind the first ridge of hills, upon 

 the right hand fork of Soublet's creek. 



An incident en route afforded some little amusement at the time. We 

 had left the Fort without provisions, and I accordingly proceeded a short 

 distance in advance for the purpose of kiUing antelope. Riding slowly on, 

 I noticed a badger not far ahead, and dismounted to shoot him. But the 

 creatiire becoming alarmed sprang for his hole, and I hastened to stop 

 him. This I effected by tightly grasping his tail as he was in the very 

 act of entering his burrow. In the chase my rifle had accidentally dis- 

 charged itself, and here commenced a struggle between me and the badger, 

 — I to retain my hold while I unbelted my pistol to dispatch him, and he to 

 enforce his liberty. At length I succeeded, and a choice supper was made 

 from his carcase, which, to all intents, was the fattest thing I ever saw. 



We remained encamped at the place above named for some six weeks, 

 and devoted the interval principally to hunting sheep, of which there 

 were vast numbers in the neighborhood. In attestation of the monstrous 

 horns borne by some of them, I need only mention the simple fact of my 

 having killed three sheep while here whose horns measured nineteen 

 inches in circumference, and nearly three feet in length. 



One of our party encountered a strange looking animal in his excur- 

 sions, which, from his description, must have been of the leopard family. 

 This circumstance is the more remarkable, as leopards are rarely found 

 except in southern latitudes. Hov/ever, they are not unfrequently met 

 with in some parts of the Cumanche country, and their skins furnish to 

 the natives a favorite material for arrow-cases. 



The only beast of prey other than wolves, encountered during the 

 entire winter, was a solitary panther, whose extreme shyness defied all 

 attempts to approach within shooting distance. 



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