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At one place the shores seemed absolutely lined with buffaloes; many
were making their way across the stream, snorting, and blowing, and
floundering. Numbers, in spite of every effort, were borne by the rapid
current within shot of the boats, and several were killed. At another
place a number were descried on the beach of a small island, under the
shade of the trees, or standing in the water, like cattle, to avoid the
flies and the heat of the day.
Several of the best marksmen stationed themselves in the bow of a barge
which advanced slowly and silently, stemming the current with the aid
of a broad sail and a fair breeze. The buffaloes stood gazing quietly at
the barge as it approached, perfectly unconscious of their danger. The
fattest of the herd was selected by the hunters, who all fired together
and brought down their victim.
Besides the buffaloes they saw abundance of deer, and frequent gangs
of stately elks, together with light troops of sprightly antelopes, the
fleetest and most beautiful inhabitants of the prairies.
There are two kinds of antelopes in these regions, one nearly the size
of the common deer, the other not much larger than a goat. Their color
is a light gray, or rather dun, slightly spotted with white; and they
have small horns like those of the deer, which they never shed.
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