INDIAN LAWS OF HUNTING — BLACK HILLS. 257 



all hopes of the lost rifle were vain, and immediately left the 

 village. 



This band of Ogallalah Sioux was about a hundred lodges strong, 

 and seemed to possess a large number of fine horses, as well as a 

 good many excellent mules ; the latter procured, no doubt, by 

 trading with the emigrants along the road to California and 

 Oregon. 



From the village we pursued a south-east course to overtake the 

 train, which, after passing in an easterly direction over a level 

 grassy prairie, with plenty of fine water, had ascended the western 

 slope of the Black Hills. Having ridden a mile or two, we enjoyed 

 an opportunity of witnessing what is technically called a '' sur- 

 round" of buffalo, by a band of about fifty Indians on horseback. 

 The poor animals were in great confusion and terror, the Indians 

 being in full pursuit. We did not halt to see the end of the hunt. 

 During the chase a small band was driven near us, and a fine fat 

 cow was secured by a shot from one of my revolvers. A mile or 

 two farther on, we found a couple of our hunters very amicably 

 engaged in dividing the carcass of another buffalo with half a 

 dozen Indians, who laid claim to a share of the prey, on the 

 ground, that although the buffalo was actually killed by the white 

 men, one of their own number had first wounded it ; in proof of 

 which they pointed to an arrow deeply buried in its side. The 

 claim was cheerfully admitted, and the game in consequence equally 

 shared. The Indians told us that to the eastward of this point we 

 would see no more buffalo ; in this, however, they proved to be 

 mistaken. At the western base of the ridge we passed through 

 another village of fifty lodges of the same tribe, who were moving 

 to the southward. 



For the last seven or eight miles, the prairie has been strewn 

 with the carcasses of buffalo, from which the choice pieces only 

 had been selected by these untutored epicures, leaving the remainder, 

 from which they had not taken the trou!)le even to remove the skin. 

 Carcasses thus left on the open prairie are not unfrequently com- 

 pletely cured, or rather "mummified," in the sun, so that they 

 seldom exhibit any sign of decay. 



Ascending the western slope of the Black Hills by a very gentle 

 rise, we followed the trail of our party, passing between low cliffs 

 and detached masses of red and gray sandstone, worn into isolated 

 pillars, hillocks, and other forms by the action of the elements. 

 The beds appeared to be thick and extensive, but the strata were 



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