登陆注册
5218500000001

第1章 THE BISON OR AMERICAN BUFFALO(1)

When we became a nation in 1776,the buffaloes,the first animals to vanish when the wilderness is settled,roved to the crests of the mountains which mark the western boundaries of Pennsylvania,Virginia,and the Carolinas.They were plentiful in what are now the States of Ohio,Kentucky,and Tennessee.But by the beginning of the present century they had been driven beyond the Mississippi;and for the next eighty years they formed one of the most distinctive and characteristic features of existence on the great plains.Their numbers were countless--incredible.In vast herds of hundreds of thousands of individuals,they roamed from the Saskatchewan to the Rio Grande and westward to the Rocky Mountains.They furnished all the means of livelihood to the tribes of Horse Indians,and to the curious population of French Metis,or Half-breeds,on the Red River,as well as to those dauntless and archtypical wanderers,the white hunters and trappers.Their numbers slowly diminished,but the decrease was very gradual until after the Civil War.They were not destroyed by the settlers,but by the railways and the skin hunters.

After the ending of the Civil War,the work of constructing trans-continental railway lines was pushed forward with the utmost vigor.

These supplied cheap and indispensable,but hitherto wholly lacking,means of transportation to the hunters;and at the same time the demand for buffalo robes and hides became very great,while the enormous numbers of the beasts,and the comparative ease with which they were slaughtered,attracted throngs of adventurers.The result was such a slaughter of big game as the world had never before seen;never before were so many large animals of one species destroyed in so short a time.Several million buffaloes were slain.In fifteen years from the time the destruction fairly began the great herds were exterminated.In all probability there are not now,all told,five hundred head of wild buffaloes on the American continent;and no herd of a hundred individuals has been in existence since 1884.

The first great break followed the building of the Union Pacific Railway.All the buffaloes of the middle region were then destroyed,and the others were split into two vast sets of herds,the northern and the southern.The latter were destroyed first,about 1878;the former not until 1883.My own chief experience with buffaloes was obtained in the latter year,among small bands and scattered individuals,near my ranch on the Little Missouri;I have related it elsewhere.But two of my kinsmen were more fortunate,and took part in the chase of these lordly beasts when the herds still darkened the prairie as far as the eye could see.

During the first two months of 1877,my brother Elliott,then a lad not seventeen years old,made a buffalo-hunt toward the edge of the Staked Plains in Northern Texas.He was thus in at the death of the southern herds;for all,save a few scattering bands,were destroyed within two years of this time.He was with my cousin,John Roosevelt,and they went out on the range with six other adventurers.It was a party of just such young men as frequently drift to the frontier.All were short of cash,and all were hardy,vigorous fellows,eager for excitement and adventure.My brother was much the youngest of the party,and the least experienced;but he was well-grown,strong and healthy,and very fond of boxing,wrestling,running,riding,and shooting;moreover,he had served an apprenticeship in hunting deer and turkeys.Their mess-kit,ammunition,bedding,and provisions were carried in two prairie-wagons,each drawn by four horse.In addition to the teams they had six saddle-animals--all of them shaggy,unkempt mustangs.Three or four dogs,setters and half-bred greyhounds,trotted along behind the wagons.Each man took his turn for two days as teamster and cook;and there were always two with the wagons,or camp,as the case might be,while the other six were off hunting,usually in couples.The expedition was undertaken partly for sport and partly with the hope of profit;for,after purchasing the horses and wagons,none of the party had any money left,and they were forced to rely upon selling skins and hides,and,when near the forts,meat.

They started on January 2nd,and shaped their course for the head-waters of the Salt Fork of the Brazos,the centre of abundance for the great buffalo herds.During the first few days they were in the outskirts of the settled country,and shot only small game--quail and prairie fowl;then they began to kill turkey,deer,and antelope.

These they swapped for flour and feed at the ranches or squalid,straggling frontier towns.On several occasions the hunters were lost,spending the night out in the open,or sleeping at a ranch,if one was found.Both towns and ranches were filled with rough customers;all of my brother's companions were muscular,hot-headed fellows;and as a consequence they were involved in several savage free fights,in which,fortunately,nobody was seriously hurt.My brother kept a very brief diary,the entries being fairly startling from their conciseness.A number of times,the mention of their arrival,either at a halting-place,a little village,or a rival buffalo-camp is followed by the laconic remark,"big fight,"or "big row";but once they evidently concluded discretion to be the better part of valor,the entry for January 20th being,"On the road--passed through Belknap --too lively,so kept on to the Brazos--very late."The buffalo-camps in particular were very jealous of one another,each party regarding itself as having exclusive right to the range it was the first to find;and on several occasions this feeling came near involving my brother and his companions in serious trouble.

同类推荐
  • 思益堂词钞

    思益堂词钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 妇人诸乳疾门

    妇人诸乳疾门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 礼法华经仪式

    礼法华经仪式

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华严经行愿品疏钞

    华严经行愿品疏钞

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说济诸方等学经

    佛说济诸方等学经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 废材逆袭:萌萌宝贝天才娘

    废材逆袭:萌萌宝贝天才娘

    她,暗杀世界的女王,国际顶尖武器设计师,身家上亿,天使面孔,魔鬼身材!她的梦想是数钞票数到手软,抱美男抱到手酸!可是……不带这么坑爹的吧,穿越就穿越,这是神马情况?冷家第一废物?未婚生子?孩子父亲身份不明?家族耻辱中的耻辱?凤凰涅槃!身材干瘪、面黄肌瘦的她,摇身一变成了史上第一治愈系天才。肥嘟嘟、傻兮兮的儿子原来也是天才召唤师?就连他身边那个流着哈喇子的萌宠也是魔宠界的帝王?那孩子他爹究竟是谁?居然这么狠心扔下他们母子不管!她最恨这种不负责任的男人!被她找到,他就死定了!
  • 三界大陆之幻魔瞳

    三界大陆之幻魔瞳

    她是二十一世纪最出名的杀手;她是凌天大陆百年难得一见的废物。有朝一日,她穿越而去。别人是三顾茅庐,我是棒打白莲花。别人是辛苦修炼,我是修炼如喝水。别人是求天而来一只幻兽,而我,幻兽天天求我来。别人说我那么拽,我就拽给他看!别人骂我是废物,我就亮瞎他们的狗眼。但,我差点就忘了,我只是个有可爱人设的小可怜。无cp,无大纲。
  • 豪夫童话(青少年早期阅读必备书系)

    豪夫童话(青少年早期阅读必备书系)

    豪夫是19世纪初叶德国才华横溢的青年作家,在他短短的一生中创作了不少流传后世的童话作品。
  • 面门

    面门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 失忆后我成了霸总未婚妻

    失忆后我成了霸总未婚妻

    【已完结,推荐新书《今天抱上死对头大腿了吗》双洁双c互宠互撩】 车祸醒来看见的第一个男人是你的真命天子?传说这个男人还掌握着C市的经济命脉,是F国鼎鼎有名D.R集团的唯一继承人,全球富豪榜前十唯一一位年仅24的男人?还会替你手撕渣妹,送你黑卡,替你购物清场,承包C市所有烟花给你过生日?叶子清表示不信这种悬乎的事情,直到那个男人出现在她面前……送她城堡,送她星星,还带她专机飞瑞士看雪!……“徐妈很喜欢你,鱼干和雪球都很喜欢你,最重要的是,我也喜欢你。叶子清小姐,你要不要嫁给我?” 【欢迎加入千亿婚宠:帝国总裁送上门,群聊号码:391103011】读者群,欢迎小天使们来玩儿~
  • 至尊废后,本宫要独宠

    至尊废后,本宫要独宠

    为救民众,叶筱死在了一场爆炸中,无意穿梭千年来到了……后宫?层层阴谋重叠,她越是不想凑上去,就越有人引导着她陷入这重重陷阱当中。好啊,老虎不发威,你当我是小猫咪啊?得嘞,既然避不开,那就让暴风雨来的更猛烈些吧,来一个她揍一个,来一双她怼一双。怼天怼地小公举终于有一天,遇到了她的冤家。“听闻皇后德艺双馨,那就给朕来一曲惊鸿舞吧?”男子坐在高位,眼眸微抬。不!她不会!她只会百步穿杨谢谢。“听说皇后画技高超,那就给朕画一幅八骏图吧。”男人靠在栏杆上,笑得肆意。不!她不行!她只会排兵布阵谢谢。问:深处冷宫遇到一个神经病皇帝该怎么办?手动微笑。
  • 明惠郡主

    明惠郡主

    一梦数十年,她为了这个男人付出了所有。长恨终成空,因为她的痴傻她失去了母亲,失去了贴心人,失去了明辉王之女的身份。而自己的丈夫就这样看着她死去。丈夫护着害她的堂妹一家,她不知道丈夫的仇恨从何而来,不知道母亲的死究竟是怎么回事,不知道一切怎么会变成这样。她只知道,上天给了她机会重生!斗渣男渣女!保家宅安平!她是一代明惠郡主——安铃罗!
  • 教师要学叶圣陶

    教师要学叶圣陶

    《教师要学叶圣陶》汇集了教师们在学习和借鉴叶圣陶的教育思想时,产生了很多有意义、有价值、有启迪作用的感悟。叶圣陶的教育思想是一座珍贵的宝库,他提出的教育教学理念和方法,对传统教育带来巨大影响。这些教师的体悟,从学校管理、教书与育人、教与学等角度,来诠释自己是如何学习叶圣陶教育思想的。值得教师朋友们细细研读。
  • 将军在上(下)

    将军在上(下)

    金马影后马思纯、人气鲜肉盛一伦领衔主演新传奇历史正剧《将军在上》,2017超级影视IP原著小说,晋江年度点击榜首作品。一个女扮男装的战神将军,朝廷栋梁;一个病弱娇美的纨绔郡王,著名废物;一道赐婚懿旨将两人绑在一起,是东风压倒西风,还是西风压倒东风?你来我往,斗智斗勇,女强男弱的调教大戏即将开场!
  • 汉末英杰逸闻录

    汉末英杰逸闻录

    退伍文青因抓猫从千年汉柏上摔下,因缘际会穿回到了东汉末年,原以为就要开始他战张角、挑吕布、斗曹操、召孔明的装逼之旅,却没曾想只是变为一个十二岁的废柴纨绔官二代。世道还没大乱,主角还是正太,从起点上看来的招人招兵种田征服天下的常规套路无从施展,这可怎么办?陶应只能逆来顺受,当好孝子、结交轻侠、忽悠士族、勤习武艺、搞搞小发明、拜个好师傅、撬撬三国大佬们的墙角,开始他的养望发育之路。让我们来一起喊口号:“头可断,发型不可乱。”呃,错了,应该是:“天下可以乱,发育的节奏不可断。”