The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-10-01
BLOOMSBURG Pa. FRIDAY, OCTOBER l. 1875.

. nearly half mile broad, was covered with
dead and dying buffalo. Only compara-
tive few crossed the river, and these were
soon driven back by hunters. Il was esti-
mated that considerably more than half the
herd, or over 1000 buffalo, paid for this at
tempt with their lives.
There is very marked and curious differ
ence between buffaloes and domestic cattle.
The COW seems to possess scarcely trace of
maternal instinct, and when frightened will
abandon her calf without the slightest hesi-
tation. The duty Of protecting the calf de-
wolves entirely upon the bulls.
have seen evidences of this many times
but the most remarkable instance | have
ever heard of was related to me by an army
surgeon, who was an eye witness. He was
one evening returning to camp after days
hunt, when his attention was attracted by
the curiou action Of little knot of six or
eight butialoes. Approaching sufficiently
near to see clearly, he discovered that this
little knot were all bulls, standing in close
circle with their heads outward, while in
copcentric circle at some twelve or fifteen
feet distant sat licking their chops in i'm
patient expectancy at least dozen large
gray wolves, excepting man, the most dam
gerous enemy of the buffalo.
The doctor determined to watch the per-
formance. After few moments the knot
broke up, still keeping in compact mass,
and started on a trot for the main herd, some
half a mile off. To his very great astonish-
ment the doctor now saw that the central
and controlling figure of the mass was a
poor little calf 80 newly born as scarcely to
be able to walk. After going fifty or hun
dred yards the calf laid down The bulls
disposed themselves in circle as before, and
the wolves who had trotted along on each
flank of their retreating supper, sat down
and licked their chops again. This was re-
peated time and again, and although the
doctor did not see TIE finale it being late
and the camp distant, he had no doubt that
the noble fathers did their whole duty by
their offspring and carried it safely to the
herd.
When feeding, the herd is more or less
scattered, but on the approach of danger it
closes and rounds into tolerably compact
circular mass. Although there is not par
ticle of danger in approaching such herd,
in it novice requires an extraordinary
amount of nerve. When he gets within 300
yards, the bulls on that side, with head erect
tail cooked in air, nostrils expanded, and
ewes that seem to flash fire even to that dis
tance, walk uueasily to and fro, nenacing
the intruder by paving the earth and tossing
their hugeheads. The enemy still approach
ing, some bull will face him, lower his head
and start on 4 most furious charge. But,
alas for brute courage when he has gone
twenty or thirty yards Mr., Bull thinks bet
ter of it, stops, stares an instant, and then
trots back to the herd. Another and another
will try the same game, with the same result
and if in spite of these ferocious demonstra-
tions the hunter still approaches, the whole
herd will take incontinently to its heels.
This bullying procliyity combined with his
natural ndisposition to get out Of the way,
has been the cause of the death of thous-
ands at the hands of men to whom buffalo
killing was no novelty, who needed no meat,
and would not have gone fifty yards out of
their way to kill; but in whom opportunity
so reused that spirit Of murder which is in
herent in every sportsman's breast, that the
temptation was too strong to be resisted.