THE BUFFALO IIUNTEKS IN THE FIELD. ill 



After the start from the settlement has been well made, 

 and all stragglers or tardy hunters have arrived, a great 

 council is held, and a president elected. A number of 

 captains are nominated by the president and people 

 jointly. The captains then proceed to appoint their own 

 policemen, the number assigned to each not exceeding 

 ten. Their duty is to see that the laws of the hunt are 

 strictly carried out. In 1849, if a man ran a buffalo 

 without permission before the general hunt began, his 

 saddle and bridle were cut to pieces, for the first offence ; 

 for the second offence of the same description his clothes 

 were cut off his back. At the present day these punish- 

 ments are changed to a fine of twenty shillings for the 

 first offence. No gun is permitted to be fired when in 

 the buffalo country before the " race " begins. A priest 

 sometimes goes with the hunt, and mass is then celebrated 

 in the open prairies. At night the carts are placed in 

 the form of a circle with the horses and cattle inside the 

 ring, and it is the duty of the captains and their police- 

 men to see that this is rightly done. All laws are pro- 

 claimed in camp, and relate to the hunt alone. All camp- 

 ing orders are given by signal, a flag being carried by 

 the guides, who are appointed by election. Each guide 

 has his turn of one day, and no man can* pass a guide on 

 duty without subjecting himself to a fine of five shillings. 

 No hunter can leave the camp to return home without 

 permission, and no one is permitted to stir until any ani- 

 mal or property of value, supposed to be lost, is recovered. 

 The policemen, at the order of the captains, can seize any 

 cart at night-fall and place it where they choose for the 

 public safety, but on the following morning they are com- 

 pelled to bring it back to the spot from which they 

 moved it the evening previous. This power is very ne- 

 cessary in order that the horses may not be stampeded 



