Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-12-24
BUFfALOES
BUT WITH \ CAMERA, AND NOT
WITH A GUN.
Ernest Harold Baynes Tells of an In
teresting Day in the Corbin Game
Preserve on Croydon
Mountain.


Yesterday morning, as | looked from
my window upon Croydon mountain,
the sun, which was rising behind II,
| silvered the white tree-tops along lls
| summit. The day before, white CLOUDS
enyeloped the top of Croydon, and the
moisture which had condensed upon
the tops of the evergreens had turned
to crystals in the night. a grassy
plateau TO the west OF the mountain
and just outside my garden, was also
white with a heavy coating OF hoar
frost, and upon this cleaning field a
herd of more than a hundred butaloes
stood facing the northwest gate, Whlch
opens directly from my garden into tho
Corbin game preserve. They had passed
the night on a grassy hilltop, a mile to
the southeast; had just charged GOWN
over a woodland trail, and now stood
blowing clouds Of vapor from their wet,
black nostrils.
AS there was the promise OF a Dglght
day, | took my camera, a score OF plates'
and a field glass and set out prepared
to hunt the buffalo until sunset, OF I'M
til all my ammunition was gone.
After entering the gate, | walked
quietly eastward, along the fence, pre-
tending not to see the buifaloes, for,
often as not, the momeE. they see that
they are attracting special attention,
they will give a few erunts Of alarm and
gallop off, leaving you to follow them
over hill and Gale for a mile or Two, and
then another mile or two after that.
If you are not careful, After getting
well to the east of the herd, | crawIcd
along under cover of a stone wall, until
the animals were within reasonable
range. From where | lay, the ground
slanted slightly upwards toward the
west, so the dark forms Of the buifaloes
were in good relief against the light
brown grass. Some Of them were lying
down now, and, slipping the nozzle OK
the Gamer through a gap in the wall,
| got a picture Of them in this position.
| then worked round them until | could
get them against the Sky, for this is one
Of the best of all backgrounds for but
faloes. In order to do this, however.
| was obliged to show myself, but as |
walked along as though on business in
some other part of the preserve, the
animals took no notice Of me. One
photograph Of the herd in the distance.
and another at much closer range, were
the result of this vancouver, and the
b%uffaloes, finding that no harm came
from my presence, now seemed pre-
pared for even further advances. As |
sauntered very slowly toward them,
those which were wing down quickly
arose to their feet, and all of them gave
me their undivided attention. After
getting two more snaps at the herd, |
began to try for pictures Of individuals.
But first | sat down and waited, that
they might become used to seeing mo
near them. Two or three animals, how
ever, were getting restless, and one
young fOur-year-old bull Kept sruIting
from time TO time, as though giving it.
As his opinion that | was not to be trust
ed. Presently he gave an emphatic
,runt and started to walk away in the
direction Of a valley to the south, and
| knew that, if he ever broke into d
trot going down that hillside. the entire
herd would follow him like sheep
through a gap in the fence, So, as
though by accident, | quickly placed
myself between him and the valley.
and he, finding that his move was
checked, trotted back to his compan-
ions, and the danger of a stampede was
for the moment averted.
The herd was now becoming uneasy,
and my friend, the young bull before
mentioned, gave a loud erunt and
dashed away toward the valley, with
two or three others close in his wake.
| knew that to stop the stampede now
would be about as easy as to step an
avalanche or a landslide, so stood
apart and gave them plenty Of room.
One great flying wedge Of brown, with
The four-year-old bull at its apex, they
went laundering down the hill, and
through the valley along the bank OF
the brook. Then, in a long string, they
fled up a hill to the west, along the
ridge, and down into a valley beyond.
As | watched them through the glasa
from a hill-top,l could see, in n hollow
which was crossed by the trail, another
smaller herd Of buffaloes, lying at rest,
and in the apple orchard further to the
south was still another herd; and as
the main body went through, these
smaller ones fell in with them, until
about $50 buffaloes were on the march.
Laden as | was, 1t seemed wiser TO give
them time to slow down before attempt-
ing to come up with them, so | sat down
by the brook and had my lunch. When
| overlook the buffaloes, they wore
about to enter a wood, and here | photo
graphed them again. AS they moved
through the wood, they presented a
strange appearance. The trail was dim
~ lighted ard was filled with a surging
mass Of great hairy beasts, parts only
of whose outlines could be seen. Now
and then a few rays Of sunshine filtered
through the trees, and for u momen
lighted up a rolling sea Of humps and
| glinted from the well-curved horns.
The sun was setting behind the
Green mountains when the bnifaloes
gathered together on the top Of a hill
for the night.
ERNEST HAROLD BAYNEs.