Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-08-05
REMINDERS OF THE BUFFALO.
Relics of the Great Herds in the Da-
kotas and Montana.

Reminders of the lost herds of buff
falo are still in existence in the Dako-
tas and Montana. The homesteader's
pillow now and then turns up a buffalo
bone and many of the trails to springs
and creeks used today by range cattle
are known to have been made origi-
naliy by buffaloes. Occasionally on
the prairies are to be found buffalo
powders" At distance they appear
no different from Others but closer in
spection shows them to be surrounded
by well-beateH trough several feet
wide. These powders. within the
memory of old cattlemen. were used
by the buffaloes as rubbing places in
their wanderings over the treeIess
prairies Another reminder of the lost
herds are the "buffalo wallows'' great
circular depressions common on the
plains, where the rancfers say the
buffaioes formerly punched together
The most interesting reminder of the
departed buffalo. however, is the
mystic circle of the plains a famil-
lar feature of the Landscape to the cat
tlemen in early days, though one now
almost undistinguishable. The strange
circle consists of a wide green band in
the midst of the great dun-colored
stretches of prairie inclosing an area
of ground 20 to 80 feet insdiameter.
'In the early sos said an old
pldinsman. in speaking of these circles
and their significance. awhile there
We're a few herds of buffalo still roam
ing the prairies of Montana, | was rid
ing along one day when some distance
away spied about a dozen buffaloes
which seemed to be walking in cir
Gle in single file. The strangeness OF
their movements led me tosride closer.
AS / approached / discovered bunch
of calves inside the circle and mo-
ment later perceived IA big gray wolf
crouched on knoll couple of hun
dred yards away. The story was plain
enough 1t was the old tragedy of the
plains, only in what was to me a new
setting. The wolf was thirsting for
one of the calves. The mother buffa-
Ices, In order TO protect their young.
had formed themselves in circular
barrier about them.
"As | watched their fnaneuvers,
couple of unruly calves made a sudden
break in the ring. Quick as fash
the wolf was leaping through the
grass toward the DFeacH. mo sooner
had he started, however, than one of
the cows charged out of the circle and
came plunging toward him with her
head lowered. 1t seemed time for me
to take hand and sraisipg my rifle.
shot and killed the wolf. The tragedy
or near-tragedy | had averted learn
ed afterward was common affair on
the plains and the explanation of the
odd circles I had so often wondered
about
"a wolf with one spring will ham,
string calf and render 1t helpless.
The buffalo cows, well aware of this.
had learned how to prevent = tragedy
by forming a circular stockade about
their offspring. Where these rings
remained so wildly green for years
after one of these battles, 1t is be-
lieved the fight between the herds and
the wolves may have been kept up for
many hours or even two and three
days at time. Only when in desper-
ate need Of water did the sbuffaloes
ever break the circle, and then they
have been seen to withdraw n soldier
like order goring the wolves to death
If they have dared approach. "-Har-
pers' weekly. a.