Chap. IV. BUFFALO-HUNTING. 257 
None but a very unskilful huntsman ever expends his six 
charges without bringing down the animal. I have never 
seen resistance on the part of the buffalo, nor any combined 
defence of an attacked troop. I also observed that the 
whole herd never took other notice of an enemy in the 
midst of them than that the nearest bands moved aside. 
The numerous burrows of the prairie marmot render this 
chace dangerous, and only a horse accustomed to the 
ground, especially to buffalo hunting, is recommended to a 
novice. As I had no such horse, I was prevented taking 
an active part in the sport. A young man belonging to 
our caravan, who one day wished to try his luck, rode 
over a buffalo-calf, and was thrown from his horse, but 
without incurring any serious injury. 
Amongst our muleteers was a Mexican, who had been 
for about eight years a slave among the Comanches, and 
went by the name of " Comanche " in the caravan. This 
man was very skilful in flinging the laso, and caught with 
it not only several buffalo-calves, but one day a full-grown 
cow, when, unaided, he threw down the animal and bound 
its legs. When he announced this feat at the camp I 
rode back with him to see where the ccw lay. After the 
lad had thrown the laso round the creature's neck, whilst 
it stood still resisting its efforts, he rode, continuing to 
hold the cord tightly, several times round it, and in this 
manner gradually wound the cord around its legs tighter 
and tighter, till at last he overthrew the animal with a jerk. 
He then jumped quickly off his horse, and tied the four legs 
together with the end of the cord. We killed the animal 
by a single shot, and " Comanche*' immediately began to 
cut as much flesh from the carcass as we thought needed 
in the camp, without stopping to skin or clean the beast. 
As the lad was performing his task with incredible agility, 
