114 ASSINNIBOINE AND SASKATCHEWAN EXPEDITION. 



will, however, feed or fatten on whatever suits the tame 

 cow, and requires about the same amount of food. I 

 have never milked either the full-blood or mixed breed, 

 but have no doubt they might be made good milkers, 

 although their bags or udders are less than those of the 

 common cow ; yet, from the strength of the calf, the 

 dam must yield as much, or even more milk, than the 

 common cow."* 



Next to the buffalo the horse is the mainstay of the 

 prairie Indians. Good horses are not very common 

 among the Crees ; they are, however, very intelligent and 

 well trained. A good buffalo runner is invaluable to 

 them, for although it does not require a fast horse to 

 catch a bull, the cows, possessing greater speed, often out- 

 strip them. A good Indian horse possesses some excellent 

 characteristics, the result of training, which it may be 

 interesting to enumerate, for the purpose of exhibiting 

 how admirably this animal serves his rude and savage 

 masters. When galloping after a buffalo, an Indian horse 

 watches the animal as intently as his rider, always 

 swerving when he observes the buffalo's tail begin to 

 vibrate, and breaking into short gallop at his utmost 

 speed when he sees the tail erect, a sure indication of an 

 immediate charge. The rider may with safety entrust 

 himself to his horse if mounted on a trained buffalo run- 

 ner ; he will be carried within three yards of the flanks 

 of the animal, and safely withdrawn when danger is 

 threatened. If the horse stumbles and throws his rider, 

 the sagacious animal stops instantly and waits for him to 

 mount again. A happy instance happened to myself 

 when riding a fiery grey mare an Ojibway Indian 

 lent me to gallop from his tent to Manitobah House, 

 a distance of ten miles. " She is my favourite buffalo 



* U. S. Patent Office Report. 



