﻿ALLEN.] 
  THE 
  CHASE 
  OF 
  THE 
  BUFFALO. 
  579 
  

  

  bewilderiug 
  confusion, 
  to 
  tell 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  animals 
  he 
  ha& 
  

   killed, 
  but 
  also 
  the 
  exact 
  spot 
  where 
  each 
  lies. 
  Yet 
  this, 
  we 
  are 
  told, 
  is 
  

   constantly 
  done. 
  

  

  According 
  to 
  Simpson, 
  the 
  Eed 
  Eiver 
  hunter, 
  in 
  winter, 
  when 
  the 
  

   snow 
  was 
  too 
  deep 
  to 
  pursue 
  tliem 
  on 
  horseback, 
  ap[»roached 
  the 
  buifa- 
  

   loes 
  by 
  crawling 
  to 
  them 
  on 
  the 
  snow, 
  disguised 
  sometimes 
  by 
  a 
  close 
  

   dun-colored 
  cap, 
  furnished 
  with 
  upright 
  ears, 
  to 
  give 
  him 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   of 
  a 
  wolf, 
  which, 
  through 
  constant 
  association, 
  the 
  buffaloes 
  regard 
  

   without 
  dread. 
  Towards 
  spring, 
  wheu 
  the 
  deep 
  snow 
  is 
  covered 
  with 
  

   a 
  hard 
  crust, 
  which, 
  while 
  it 
  supports 
  the 
  hunter, 
  proves 
  a 
  great 
  im- 
  

   pediment 
  to 
  the 
  buffaloes, 
  they 
  are 
  easily 
  run 
  down 
  by 
  the 
  hunters, 
  and 
  

   despatched 
  with 
  daggers 
  while 
  floundering 
  in 
  the 
  deep 
  drifts, 
  even 
  

   women 
  and 
  boys 
  assisting 
  in 
  killing 
  the 
  then 
  almost 
  helpless 
  aniuials.* 
  

   The 
  two 
  modes 
  of 
  hunting 
  the 
  buffalo 
  chiefly 
  practised 
  at 
  present 
  are 
  

   the 
  pursuit 
  on 
  horseback 
  and 
  the 
  '' 
  still 
  hunt." 
  The 
  first 
  named 
  is 
  the 
  

   one 
  usually 
  chosen 
  when 
  sport 
  and 
  excitement 
  are 
  the 
  things 
  mainly 
  

   desired, 
  the 
  still 
  hunt 
  being 
  practised 
  when 
  a 
  supply 
  of 
  meat 
  or 
  of 
  hides 
  

   is 
  the 
  object. 
  The 
  latter 
  method 
  affords 
  but 
  little 
  "^ 
  excitement, 
  and 
  en- 
  

   tails, 
  with 
  proper 
  precautions, 
  little 
  or 
  no 
  risk 
  of 
  life 
  or 
  limb 
  on 
  the 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  hunter. 
  Parties 
  hunting 
  for 
  pleasure 
  prefer 
  the 
  chase 
  on 
  

   horseback, 
  shooting 
  from 
  the 
  saddle 
  with 
  heavy 
  revolvers 
  at 
  close 
  range 
  

   when 
  at 
  full 
  gallop. 
  Success 
  depends 
  almost 
  wholly, 
  provided 
  the 
  hun- 
  

   ter 
  is 
  a 
  good 
  rider, 
  upon 
  the 
  speed 
  and 
  bottom 
  of 
  his 
  horse, 
  and 
  is 
  

   really 
  about 
  as 
  noble 
  sport 
  as 
  attacking 
  a 
  herd 
  of 
  domestic 
  cattle 
  would 
  

   be. 
  The 
  chase 
  on 
  horseback 
  of 
  a 
  drove 
  of 
  Texan 
  cattle 
  would 
  be 
  far 
  

   more 
  dangerous, 
  and 
  attended 
  probably 
  with 
  as 
  much 
  excitement, 
  

   except 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo 
  the 
  hunter 
  has 
  the 
  con- 
  

   sciousness 
  of 
  pursuing 
  a 
  nominally 
  wild 
  animal, 
  and 
  hence 
  legitimate 
  

   game. 
  That 
  the 
  chase 
  on 
  horseback 
  affords 
  the 
  wildest 
  excitement 
  is 
  an 
  

   undeniable 
  fact. 
  The 
  swift 
  pursuit 
  of 
  the 
  flying 
  mass 
  of 
  buflaloes, 
  the 
  

   mingling 
  with 
  the 
  terrified 
  herd, 
  the 
  singling 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  victim, 
  the 
  

   rapid 
  shots 
  at 
  the 
  huge 
  moving 
  bulk 
  of 
  hair 
  and 
  flesh, 
  at 
  so 
  close 
  range 
  

   that 
  the 
  game 
  is 
  almost 
  within 
  reach 
  of 
  the 
  hand, 
  the 
  tottering 
  fall 
  or 
  

   the 
  headlong 
  tumble 
  of 
  the 
  doomed 
  animal, 
  the 
  risk 
  of 
  pursuit 
  by 
  a 
  

   wounded 
  bullmaddeued 
  with 
  pain, 
  the 
  general 
  din 
  and 
  confusion, 
  with 
  

   the 
  double 
  risk 
  of 
  collision 
  with 
  the 
  blindly 
  fleeing 
  monsters 
  or 
  of 
  be- 
  

   ing 
  thrown 
  by 
  treacherous 
  marmot 
  or 
  badger 
  holes, 
  or 
  anon 
  the 
  long 
  

   pursuit 
  of 
  an 
  animal 
  which, 
  though 
  pierced 
  with 
  a 
  dozen 
  balls, 
  still 
  

   rushes 
  on, 
  can, 
  of 
  course, 
  yield 
  only 
  excitement 
  of 
  the 
  intensest 
  kind, 
  

   both 
  for 
  the 
  rider 
  and 
  his 
  steed. 
  This 
  method 
  is 
  the 
  favorite 
  one 
  with 
  

   hunting 
  parties 
  from 
  the 
  East 
  or 
  from 
  abroad, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  the 
  oflicers 
  

   and 
  soldiers 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  Cavalry, 
  when 
  the 
  latter 
  are 
  stationed 
  

   within 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  range 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo, 
  or 
  are 
  passing 
  through 
  its 
  

   range, 
  at 
  the 
  expense, 
  usually, 
  of 
  several 
  of 
  the 
  best 
  horses 
  in 
  the 
  com- 
  

   mand. 
  The 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  buffalo 
  during 
  these 
  hunts 
  is 
  not 
  gener- 
  

   ally 
  very 
  great, 
  though 
  amounting 
  annually, 
  in 
  the 
  aggregate, 
  to 
  many 
  

   thousands 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  demoralization 
  of 
  the 
  herd 
  produced 
  by 
  the 
  fright 
  

   and 
  the 
  chase 
  has 
  a 
  most 
  deleterious 
  influence 
  ou 
  their 
  stability 
  and 
  in- 
  

   crease. 
  

  

  The 
  still 
  hunt 
  is 
  far 
  more 
  fatal, 
  and 
  is 
  the 
  method 
  adopted 
  by 
  the 
  pro- 
  

   fessional 
  hunter, 
  who 
  throughout 
  the 
  year 
  makes 
  it 
  his 
  chief 
  business 
  

   to 
  hunt 
  the 
  buffalo 
  for 
  its 
  commercial 
  products. 
  The 
  buflalo 
  being 
  

   naturally 
  unsuspicious 
  and 
  sluggish, 
  even 
  to 
  stupidity, 
  is 
  readily 
  ap- 
  

   proached 
  within 
  easy 
  range, 
  even 
  in 
  a 
  level 
  country, 
  where 
  the 
  slight 
  

   herbage 
  of 
  the 
  plains 
  is 
  the 
  only 
  shelter. 
  Buffalo-hunting 
  hence 
  requires 
  

  

  '^ 
  Narrative 
  of 
  the 
  Discoveries 
  ou 
  the 
  North 
  Coast 
  of 
  America, 
  etc., 
  p. 
  404. 
  

  

  