In the early pioneer days herds of buffalo roam the Great Plains from the Allegheny
Mountains in the east to the Rockies in the West people say they numbered over one
hundred million the Indians often migrated with the buffalo.
Because they were so dependent before. And for in the cold winters.
It is spring at Mr Clarke's private ranch the time
when the calves are born bill is just learning to stand up.
Come on. Billy try hard.
Billy you can do it and out becomes he want to smother Polly.
No that's not your mother.
There she is Billy is hungry
and nurses often Buffalo cabs are born with very heavy
bones because soon after they are born they run with the herd
the long fur mane around Polly's neck and shoulders is permanent.
But she sheds the rest of her coat each spring nearby
little a prose stays close to her mother the two a little calves look just alike
but their mothers can tell them apart the cows are devoted mothers
and are dangerous to be around if their calves are taken away from them
and so Billy and April grow up to be playmates.
Now that grazing is poor. The buffalo have two meals a day of grain and hay.
They are cared for much the same as cattle on a modern right. George called.
Ivo. And all the clumsy animals when they are away from the far corners of the rod.
You are just careful to break the bales apart.
So that the buffalo will not hurt themselves by two in the wires.
Ali drives to eat but the big bulls push the cows aside.
Perhaps this is why the Bulls live on an average six years longer than the cause.
They are only nice to the cars during the spring mating season at this time the
Bulls have terrible fights. Little Billy looks confused.
When meanie comes near there is always trouble.
He thinks or horns at any animal or away.
Buffalo are not famous for their good dispositions.
But Meanie is the crossest of them all.
Polly protects her calf and moves away. After eating.
They wander over to the clearing troughs.
Buffalo like cattle spend many hours resting and killing their cause.
The buckets of molasses are well liked by the buffalo.
I mean it pushes a yearling gavel way molasses helps build their powerful
bodies
when King comes all the cows get out of his way because he is the leader of the
herd. When King was sick. George cared for him.
And so the big bull follows him.
Buffalo are not tame
and do not make good pets they cannot be trusted because you never know what they
will do. From their solid horns the Indians made knives. From the horn kits.
They made out of the heads the head the massive head is backed by two thousand
pounds of power came could easily push his head through a fence or wall.
However the buffalo in captivity have forgotten their wild ways
and do not realize their strength.
King wants the whole bucket.
If he looks cross or carries his tail high a sign of danger.
George will quickly jump out of his way. Last night there was a bad accident.
Brutus I mean both. Broke through the heavy fence and gored starlight.
But was about to have a Colt even quick Starlight could not turn fast enough to get
away. The buffalo may look gentle but Starlight shows how fierce they really are.
George's sent for Dr Dick.
Starlight's wound healed with hardly a scar and she had a fine cold.
Ginger.
Starlight had the same good care that Mr Clark gives all his animals.
Billy
and April like Mr Clark because sometimes it leads them from the bottle.
They wander near the tepees
that Mr Clark made to show bitters the importance of the buffalo to the Indians.
The buffalo would be extinct to day if it had not been for our government
and a few public spirited men like Mr Clarke.
In the early days the tepees were made from skins like Buffalo highs.
But when the traders brought Kansas the Indians use that instead.
Buffalo skins made bed covers and rugs.
Even today many people have car robes made from buffalo skins.
At the fireplace the women cook buffalo meat. The traders brought them iron pots.
The meat was also cut into strips
and dried to last through the winter like a turkey.
And Indian chief push me Tom makes friends with Billy with the help of a lump of
sugar. The chief lecture is on his people and the Indian sign language.
Billy is growing up his golden brown coat is turning dark
and his horn buds are beginning to grow some day he may be king of the herd Indian
drums were pressured by the Indian tribes the divisions on this drum stood on the
men of the council.
Polly watches.
The teeth demonstrates how they use the hatchet.
The tomahawk. The ball an arrow.
The Tomahawk with its hard head was a deadly weapon.
A necklace of elk steam the scion of the ELF the teeth wears a necklace
with the bears in his tribe the medicine man more of this
and the Indians thought it had great healing power.
It was handed down from father to eldest son.
Another necklace of turquoise
and silver along with all the white man came Indian fashion jewelry from silver
and copper in this tribe the medicine man wore a head days of Buffalo burned horns
because the. Didn't believe a receipt a strengthening power from the bottle
or the Indian sign buffalo in
sign language the chief says I am hungry.
I want bread
and meat
that the design on his belt represented the eye of the buffalo each part of his
costume had meaning to the Indian the Indian bags were often
beautifully decorated with be the bridge cloth was worn
both long
and short the sign for dares the
head a buffalo hide made for their moccasins the big design stood for a roll of
T.P. Thus his village his home. The sign for home.
The printer was on a metal although the rain would roll off the bridge
and keep the Indian drive the Chief tell us how the Indian could drag its breach
cloth and dust the weather
and wipe out its footprints of it were being followed the medicine man than wanted
off the evil spirits and was supposed to bring health and happiness to is dry.
The medicine spirit believe him
and as
the Indian smoked his pipe of peace
and prayed for the welfare of his people he would add another prayer for the help
of the Buffalo because they were so necessary to its way of life.