588 UNGULATA. 



ward and forced into the gulf below. Many hundred of Bisons are thus 

 destroyed in the space of a few minutes. 



A much fairer and more sportsmanlike method of hunting these 

 animals is practised by red and white men, and consists in chasing the 

 herds of Bisons and shooting them while at full speed. This sport 

 requires good horsemanship, a trained steed, and a knowledge of the 

 habits of the Bisons, as well as a true eye and steady hand. The hunter 

 marks a single individual in the herd, and by skilful riding contrives to 

 separate it from its companions. He then rides boldly alongside the 

 flying animal, and shoots it from the saddle. In this method of shooting, 

 the hunter requires no ramrod, as he contents himself with pouring some 

 loose powder into the barrel, dropping a bullet from his mouth upon 

 the powder, and firing across the saddle without even lifting the weapon 

 to his shoulder. The Indians are very expert in this sport, and, furnished 

 only with their bows and arrows, will do a good day's work. 



"The difficulty in this style of hunting," to quote again from General 

 Dodge, " is the cloud of dust which prevents very careful aim the ex- 

 plosion of the pistol creates such confusion among the flying herd, that 

 it is impossible to shoot at any individual buffalo more than once. The 

 danger arises not from the buffalo, but from the fact that neither man 

 nor horse can see the ground which may be rough or perforated with 

 prairie-dog or gopher-holes." 



Such slaughter, however, made little or no impression on the num- 

 bers of buffalo. Unfortunately, in 1872, it was discovered that their hides 

 were merchantable ; buffalo-hunting became an organized trade. The 

 slaughter would seem incredible, but the figures are taken from official 

 sources. In 1872, buffalo were around Fort Dodge in such numbers as 

 to interfere with other game, and sportsmen paid no heed to them. " In 

 1873, where there were myriads of buffalo the year before, there were 

 now myriads of carcases. The vast plain which a short twelvemonth 

 before was teeming with animal life was a dead, solitary, putrid desert." 

 In 1874, General Dodge remarks that there were more hunters than 

 buffalo. The hunting-parties engaged in this occupation consist of four 

 men — one shooter, two skinners, and a cook. One shooter, from one 

 spot, in less than three-quarters of an hour, killed one hundred and 

 twelve buffalo within a radius of two hundred yards. During the three 

 years for which General Dodge gives statistics — 1872, 1873, 1874 — there 

 were 1,378,350 hides sent to market, representing a slaughter of 3,158,730 



