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| "King" of the Western Prairies. |
The Buffalo, or Bison, has been called the " King of the Prairies," but, alas! it is king no longer. The march of man across the plains has driven the buffalo out of existence. It is a dull and stupid animal, which accounts for allowing itself to be so easily tracked ; but, on the other hand, it has immense strength and great speed. The Indian found that the buffalo supplied him with almost everything he needed : hide, wool, fat, and meat. Armed only with a bow and arrow, he killed but few of the vast herds which roamed the plains north of the Platte River. Then came the white man with the rifle, and the result is that the buffalo has vanished. Not a single wild specimen lives today. In a few shows, notably Buffalo Bill's, in private collections both in this country and in England, and in the Yellowstone Park, the buffalo still lives, guarded jealously from harm. Thirty years ago it was a common sight to see countless thousands of these mighty creatures together. The huge collection of skulls and bones testify to what their numbers must have been. Many methods were used to kill the buffalo wholesale, and one was to take advantage of the large ravines through which the western rivers run. The herds were surrounded on three sides, leaving the only avenue of escape over the precipice. At a given signal, all the men would rush in, yelling and waving hats. The herd would promptly rush off. As soon as the leaders reached the edge of the precipice, they would try to back away, but the numbers behind would force them on, and thus it was an easy matter to wipe out a whole herd.
The white man usually hunted the buffalo from horseback. This method is much more successful. It takes pluck to enter a herd and separate a member and shoot it down while going at full speed. In spite of its timid nature, the buffalo is a terrible foe when brought to bay.
The white man usually hunted the buffalo from horseback. This method is much more successful. It takes pluck to enter a herd and separate a member and shoot it down while going at full speed. In spite of its timid nature, the buffalo is a terrible foe when brought to bay.
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| Kids can learn to draw an American Buffalo at Thrifty Scissors. |
