8 4 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
catching them in this manner, just as a buffalo jumped 
off, and the hard line cut them off like a knife, against 
the still harder horn. 
The Americans show scant mercy to the buffalo, 
as they declare that it consumes as much grass as 
would fatten two bullocks ; also, that the presence of 
many of these animals will attract the Indians. I do 
not credit either of these statements, as the buffaloes 
are not found upon the cattle ranches, but upon the 
mountains far beyond. They have long since been 
driven from the plains in the vicinity of man, and 
they have retired to higher altitudes, where they are 
comparatively undisturbed. The Indians are bound 
by law to remain upon their reservation grounds, and 
they would have no chance of following upon the 
tracks of buffaloes ; it is merely an excuse for the 
destruction which is rapidly annihilating the wild 
animals of the once interesting “ Far West.” 
I have adhered throughout my description to the 
local misnomer of “buffalo,” but it must be borne 
in mind that the American species is the true 
bison. 
In India there is the so-called Indian bison, but 
naturalists deny the right of this animal to such an 
appellation, and designate it as Bos Gaums, commonly 
known in India as the gaur. Although I have been 
five times a visitor to our magnificent Indian Empire, 
I have never yet had an opportunity of shooting a 
gaur ; the day may, I trust, arrive, as I hope to revisit 
the country next winter, and instead of returning 
home in the spring, I shall devote those months of 
