Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-07-07

and being left behind by the throng,
and the swift passing hunters, they en-
deavor to secrete themselves when they
are exceedingly put to it on ievei
prairie, where naught can be seen but
the short grass ofsix or eight inches in
height, save an occasional bunch of
wild sedge, a few inches higher, to
which the poor affrighted things will
run, and dropping on their knees, will
push their noses under it, and into the
grass, where they will stand for hours,
with their eyes shut, imagining them
selves securely hid, whilst they are
standing up quite straight upon their
hind feet, and can easily be seen at Sc
veral miles distance. 1t is familier
| amusement for Us accustomed to these
scenes to retreat back over the GROUND
where we have just escorded the herd,
and these little trembling things, which
stubbornly maintain their position,
with their noses pushed under the grass,
and their eyes strained upon US, as We
dismount from our horses and are pas
sing round them. From this fixed po-
sition they are sure not to move until
hands are laid upon them, and then af-
ter desperate struggle for a moment,
the little thing is conquered, and makes
no farther resistance. | have often, IN
cone urrenee with a known custom of
the country, held my hands over the
eyes of the calf, and breathed into its
nostrils; after which / have, with my
hunting companions, rode several miles
into our encampment, with the little
prisoner busily following the heels Of
my horse the whole way, as closely
and afectionately as its instinct would
attach it to its dam! This is one of
the most extraordinary things that
have met with in the habits of this
Wild country; and although had OF
ten heard of it, and felt unable exactly
to believe it, / am now willing to bear
testimony to the fact, from the numer-
Gus instances which | have witnessed
since | came into the country. During
the time that / resided at this post, in
the spring of the year, on my way up
the river, l assisted Tin numerous hunts
of the buffalo, with the Fur Company's
men) in bringing, in the above man
ner, several of the little prisoners, which
sometimes followed five or six miles,
close to our horses heels, and even In
the Fur Company's Fort, and lnto the
stables where our horses were led.
1t is truly melancholy contempla-
ton of the traveller in this country to
anticipate the period, when the last of
these noble animals, at the hands of
white and red men, will fall victims to
their cruel and improvident rapacity;
leaving these beautifM green fields
vast and idle waste, unstoeked and UNI
peopled for ages to come, until the tra-
ditions of the other will have vanish
ed, and left scarce an ineligible trace
behind. That the reader should not
think me visionary in these contempla-
tons, or romancing in making such as
sertions, I will hand him the following
item of the extravagancies which are
practised in these regions, and rapidly
leading to the results which have just
named. Only few days before ar
rived, (when an immense herd of buff
faloes had showed themselves on the
opposite side of the river, almost black
enning the plains for great distance)
a party of Eve or six hundred Sioux
Indians on horseback, forded the river
about mid day, and spending a few
hours amongst them, recrossed the rlv-
err at shutdown, and came into the Fort
with fourteen hundred fresh buffalo
tongues, which were thrown into mass,
and for which they required but a few
gallons of whiskey, which was soon
demolished, indulging them IN a little
and harmless carouse,