206 THE AMERICAN BISONS. 



faloes now so wholly within their power. Soon rendered frantic with rage 

 and fear, the stronger toss, crush, or impale the weaker. In this dreadful 

 scene of confusion and slaughter, says Hind, " the shouts and screams of the 



excited Indians rise above the roaring of the bulls, the bellowing of the cows, 

 and the piteous moaning of the calves. The dying struggles of so many 

 huge and powerful animals crowded together create a revolting and terrible 

 scene, dreadful from the excess of its cruelty ami waste of life, but with occa- 

 sional displays of wonderful brute strength and rage; while man, in his sav- 

 age, untutored, and heathen state, shows, both indeed and expression, how 

 little he is superior to the noble beasts he so wantonly and cruelly destroys." 



" The conflict over," says Hind, u animals of every age, from old bulls to 

 young calves of three months old. were huddled together, in all the forced 

 attitudes of violent death. Some lay on their backs, with eyes starting from 

 their heads, and tongues thrust out through clotted gore, and others were 

 impaled on the horns of the old and strong bulls. Others again, which had 

 been tossed, were lying with broken backs, two or three deep. One little 

 calf hung suspended on the horns of a bull, which had impaled it in the wild 

 race round and round the pound." Of the two hundred to two hundred and 

 fifty animals usually killed at each impounding, only the best and fattest are 

 utilized, the flesh of these being removed and dried in the sun. 



Sometimes the attempts at impounding are unsuccessful, an instance of 

 which is mentioned by Mr. Hind. Alter the pound was nearly full, an old 

 bull espied a narrow crevice which had not been closed by the robes of those 

 on the outside, whose duty it was to conceal every orifice: making a dash at 

 this, he forced himself through, breaking the fence, when the whole herd ran 

 helter-skelter through the gap, a lew only being speared or shot through 



with arrows in their attempt to escape. 



Simpson says that in January, L840, the buffaloes were so numerous about 

 Carlton Bouse as to render it necessary to remove the haystacks into the 

 Fort to prevent their being devoured l>\ the buffaloes. In the vicinity of 



the Fort were three camp- of A-sinuilioi nes. each of whom had its buffalo 

 pound, into u hicfa they drove forty or lift \ animals daily : " and 1 aflerwards 

 learned." says Simpson, •■that in other place- these pounds were actually 



formed of piled-up en 



Audubon states that the Groa Ventres, Blackfeet, and Assinniboines often 

 also took the buffalo in large pens in a similar manner. Two converging 



on (Thomaa), Narrative of thi l> i the North Co 



