THE EXTERMINATION OF THE AMERICAN BISON. 431 



theui almost as swift as antelopes and far more wary. The instant a 

 buffalo caught sight of a man, even though a mile distant, he was off 

 at the top of his speed, and generally ran for some wild region several 

 miles away. 



In our party was an experienced buffalo-hunter, who in three years 

 had slaughtered over three thousand head for their hides. He declared 

 that if he could ever catch a " bunch " at rest he could " get a stand " 

 the same as he used to do, and kill several head before the rest would 

 run. It so happened that the first time we found buffaloes we discov- 

 ered a bunch of fourteen head, lying in the sun at noon, on the level top 

 of a low butte, all noses pointing up the wind. We stole up within 

 range and fired. At the instant the first shot rang out up sprang every 

 buffalo as if he had been thrown upon his feet by steel springs, and in 

 a second's time the whole bunch was dashing away from us with the 

 speed of race-horses. 



Our buffalo-hunter declared that in chasing buffaloes we could count 

 with certainty upon their always running against the wind, for this had 

 always been their habit. Although this was once their habit, we soon 

 found that those who now represent the survival of the fittest have 

 learned better wisdom, and now run (1) away from their pursuer and (2) 

 toward the best hiding place. Now they pay no attention whatever to 

 the direction of the wind, and if a pursuer follows straight behind, a 

 buffalo may change his course three or four times in a 10-mile chase. 

 An old bull once led one of our hunters around three- quarters of a circle 

 which had a diameter of 5 or 6 miles. 



The last buffaloes were mentally as capable of taking care of them- 

 selves as any animals I ever hunted. The power of original reasoning 

 which they manifested in scattering all over a given tract of rough 

 country, like hostile Indians when hotly pressed by soldiers, in the 

 Indian-like manner in which they hid from sight in deep hollows, and, 

 as we finally proved, in grazing only in ravines and hollows, proved con- 

 clusively that but for the use of firearms those very buffaloes would have 

 been actually safe from harm by man, and that they would have in- 

 creased indefinitely. As they were then, the Indians 7 arrows and spears 

 could never have been brought to bear upon them, save in rare instances, 

 for they had thoroughly learned to dread man and fly from him for 

 their lives. Could those buffaloes have been protected from rifles and 

 revolvers the resultant race would have displayed far more active 

 mental powers, keener vision, and finer physique than the extinguished 

 race possessed. 



In fleeing from an enemy the buffalo ran against the wind, in order 

 that his keen scent might save him from the disaster of running upon 

 new enemies ; which was an idea wholly his own, and not copied by 

 any other animal so far as known. 



But it must be admitted that the buffalo of the past was very often 

 a most stupid reasoner. He would deliberately walk into a quicksand, 



