EIGHTH NIGHT
THE STORIES OF BUFFALO AND BISON
This evening the whole Buffalo herd had come out of the park to themeeting-place in front of Chita's cage; even their brother, the IndianBison, was there, as also was the true Buffalo, Bos Bubalus.
Said Sa'-zada, opening his book: "We should learn much this evening,for Buffalo and Bison are to tell us of their lives. But first, let meput you all right as to their names. Those we have called Buffalo, fromour own western prairies, are not Buffalo at all, but Bison,half-brother of Gaur, who also lives in India, where the true Buffalocomes from."
"It does not matter," said Buff, the prairie Bison, "it does not matterwhat I'm called, seems to me, for all my life I have been most badlytreated. Why, it seems no time since I was a calf, one of a mightyherd, on the sweet-grassed prairie, and in those days I thought therewas nothing in the world like being a Buffalo.
"The first touch of danger I remember came in this way. The herd hadtracked, one after another, all walking in the same narrow path, downto a hollow in which was water. I was feeling frisky, and, seeingsomething move, something that seemed very like a calf, smaller thanmyself, I ran after it, cocking my tail, kicking my heels in the air,and thinking it great sport; for, Comrades, the great weakness of allgrass-feeders is an idle curiosity."
"And did all this happen when you had your tail kinked in the air, thattime you were a silly calf?" jibed Magh, holding a peanut out on herunder lip, and looking down at it very sedately, as though the subjectwere of little interest.
"I'll tell you my story in my own way," declared Buff. "The thing thatI followed was like a grey shadow, and slipped about with no noise, butwhen I came close to it, with a vicious snarl it sprang up, and alsothere were three others hidden in the grass. Much milk! but I becameafraid, and I believe I bawled. Just then I felt the ground tremble,and a dozen of the herd galloped towards me with their heads down. Itwas a wolf, and help came just in time, for the big fangs of the fiercebrute cut my hind leg a little where he sought to hamstring me.
"Then Mother explained, first bunting me soundly with her forehead,then licking me with her coarse tongue, that these Wolves were alwaysfollowing up the Herd, trying to catch a Calf, or sick Cow, or oldBull, to one side."
"We have Wolves in India, too," said Arna, "and Chita the Leopard, andBagh the Tiger. Blood drinkers! but we have many enemies there; evenCobra will hardly get out of the way seeking to carry to one's bloodhis sudden death. There are no animals so ill used, I believe, asBuffalo.
"One has need of big Horns in the heart of the Jungle. Why, minemeasure nine feet and a half from tip to tip across my forehead. Andsee the strength of them, fully the size of Bagh's leg--for I am aCurly Horn, which means one of great strength. Never have I lockedHorns with a Bull that I have not twisted his neck till he bellowed.Eugh-hu, eugh! Next to lying in muddy water with one's nose justpeeping out, there's nothing so pleasant as a trial of strength. Andwith all respect to Hathi's handiness of trunk, I must say I prefergood, stout Horns. When Bagh or Pardus come sneaking about, there'snothing like a long reach.
"Hear that, friends," said Magh. "Here's a traveler from Panther's ownland calls him a sneak. He, he he! now we shall get at the truth."
"Yes," said Gaur, the Bison; "Panther and all his tribe are sneaks.They murdered a Calf of mine. To be sure, it was the Wife's Calf, forhad I been there at the time I'd have fixed him. She had just lain downto rest for the night, and the Calf was a little to one side, and thisevil-spotted thing, Panther of the Red Kind, came sneaking up the windlike a proper Jungle Cat. He knew I was away, for he has the cunning ofCobra, and how was the mother to know that any danger threatened? Hestole like a shadow close to the poor little Calf, and with a rushjumped on his back and bit his neck, breaking it, and cutting it so thered blood ran his life all out in a little while."
"I was born in Mardian," remarked Arna, the Buffalo, "many years ago;and save for the loss of a Calf, through Chita or Bagh's treachery, orperhaps a lone Cow at times, our herd feared no Dweller of the Jungles.Mine is a big family," he ruminated, "for we wander over almost allIndia and Burma. Before I had grown up our Bull leader had taught usall the method of battle. When it was Bagh, we formed up, heads out,with the Calves behind, and if we but saw him in time, he surely wasslain, if he sought strongly for a Kill.
"I learned all the different sounds that come far ahead of danger.One's ears get wondrous sharp in the Jungle, I can tell you, where thelittle Gonds hunt. If a stone went singing down the hillside, thatmeant Men, and Men meant the worst kind of danger. No Animal starts astone rolling; we are too careful for that.
"Also do the Jungle Dwellers not break sticks as they travel. The crackof a broken twig meant Men Hunters; and when a beat was on, the Junglewas, indeed, possessed of great sounds. All the Dwellers ran mad withfear--the fear-madness that is like unto the way of Baola Kutta, theMad Dog. There is nothing so terrible in the life of an Animal as thedrive of the Hunters. 'Tap, tap, tap,' like the knocking of Hornstogether, meant the strike of Beaters against the trees, and then theMen's voices crying, '_Aree ho teri_.'
"I, who tremble not at the roar of a Tiger, shivered when I heard that,and lost all knowledge of which way I should run--that was in the firstdrive, of course, before I became possessed of much Jungle wisdom.Surely it drove us all mad. Like the sound of rain falling on leaveswas the rush of Python's little feet as even he flew from theMan-danger.
"Our best food was down in the _jhils_, also the nice soft mud to liein, and in the early spring, after the fires had passed, the youngbamboo shot up and we ate them. Then when we took it into our heads, wewent up into the deep, cool sal forest and rested in peace. But in theDry Time was the time of danger, for we had to travel far to findwater. We are not like Antelope or Nilgai, who go without water fordays and days.
"I remember once when we had crept down out of the hills, leaving thebig sal trees behind, and passing through tamarind, and mango, andpipal, and just as we were coming to the pool, which was almost hiddenin the jamin bushes, I heard a roar--there was a rush and a Bagh offerocious strength sprang on one of our Cows and sought to break herneck.
"But worse than Bagh's cruel charge was the silent method of thelittle, dark Men-kind--the Mariahs. Like Magh's people, they would sitquiet in the trees, and as we came slowly back from the water wouldshoot arrows into us. Of this we could have no warning, neither anychance to fight for our lives, only the noise of the arrow coming likethe hiss of King Cobra, and the cruel sting of its sharp end. Our Bullleader got one this way not strong enough to bring him to his death,and for days and days it stayed in his side, and made him of such avile temper that the Herd had to cast him forth, and he became what isknown as a Solitary Bull.
"There is some kindness in Bagh's method, more than in the way of theseevil Men, for when he kills he kills, and there is no more sickness;but of the Men, when they hunt us with their arrows or a thunder-stickwhich strikes with a loud noise, many of our kind are struck and die atthe end of much time.
"Strong as the fire-stick is----"
"Arna means by the fire-stick a gun," explained Sa'-zada.
"Strong as it is," continued Arna, "we Buffalo are also of greatstrength. Why, the skin on my neck and withers would stop its strikeany time."
"Stop the Bullet?" queried Sa'-zada.
"Yes," asserted the Bull. "I have at least three buried in the thickskin of my neck, and I hardly know they are there. Why, it has beenknown in my Herd for a Bull to be struck fifteen times by one of thesefire-sticks, and then the Men did not get him. But just behind theshoulders we are weak. My mother taught me a trick of this sort--'Neverstand sideways to an enemy,' she told me. Yes, though it is good to beof great strength, a little wisdom is also of much use, even to aBuffalo."
"It was so with us," concurred Prairie Bison. "From all the otheranimals we suffered little compared with the misery that came from theMen--the Redmen; and worse still were the Palefaces; it was, as yousay, Brother, all because o
f the fire-stick."
"Even I was struck by it," continued Arna; "it was this way. Early onemorning I had gone down to a _jhil_, being alone at that time of theyear, for our wives were busy with the Calves, and, as I was going tothe uplands, to a favorite _nulla_ of mine, in which to rest, suddenlyI caught sight of an evil-faced Gond; these same Gonds being of allShikaris (hunters) the most strong in their thirst for blood. I rushedaway for the hills, thinking to leave him behind. I traveled far, andthought to myself, now surely I have lost this small killer. Beinghungry, I fed on the rich grass, but, as I fed, suddenly a dry twigbroke in the Jungle, and I knew that it was either Hathi or the littleGond. Looking back, I saw with the Shikari another of a white face.Again I galloped, and trotted, and walked, up a long _nulla_, over ahill, around by the side of it, turned, and went far back, much the wayI had come, only to one side. Then I sought the top of a hill where thebamboos grew thick, thinking to hide. As I rested, an evil smell, thatwas not of the Jungle, came to me as the wind turned in its course andblew up the hill. I stood perfectly still, even ceased to flap my earsagainst the wicked Flies. As I watched, suddenly this Man of the whiteface stood up from the grass just the shortest of gallops away, histhunder-stick roared, and something I could not see struck me mostviciously in the shoulder. I was mad. Lashing my hips with my tail, andthrowing my nose straight out, I charged him.
"Again his thunder-stick spoke loud, but there was no sting--nothing,and he turned from me and ran down the hill. Just as I was almost uponhim, he looked back, his foot caught in a bush and he fell. Now, as Ihave said, my big Horns are of great use when Bagh charges, or whenanother Bull disputes the right to command the Herd, but as for thesmall enemy lying on the ground, I could not get at him at all;besides, I was rushing down hill at great speed, so, though I loweredmy head till my forehead almost crushed him into the earth, yet I hadhim not on the Horns, as, carried by my weight, I was forced to thevery bottom. Before I could turn he was up and away, and I never sawhim again."
"SOMETHING I COULD NOT SEE STRUCK ME MOST VICIOUSLY INTHE SHOULDER."]
"We are also killed by the Men," added Muskwa, the Bear. "They take offour black coats, and I thought, perhaps, that was lest we might come tolife again. Yes, I think they mean to kill all Animals."
"They have killed nearly all my people," sighed Prairie Cow--"nearlyall of them. I know that is true, for one day Sa'-zada came into ourcorral, and, rubbing his nice soft hand on my forehead--I was sick thatday, I remember--said, 'Poor old girl! we must take care of you, forthere are not many of your sort left now.' Then he said it was a shamethat the brutes had slaughtered us so."
"Ghurr-ah!" barked Wolf, "tell of this thing, O Buffalo Cow, for to meit has been much of a mystery where the many of your kind could havegone."
"Lu-ah!" sighed Prairie Cow, "it makes me sad to even think of it. As Ihave said, in my young life we were many, many in numbers like you haveseen our enemies, the Men, here at times. All through the long, warmdays of sun, we ate the grass that grew again as fast as we cropped it.Our humps became big and full of rich fat for the cold time. Not thatI had the hump on my back as a Calf, not needing it as food, for mymother's milk kept my stomach at peace when the winds were cold, andthe grass perhaps under a white cover. Sometimes when the days wereharsh we had to travel far in search of feed grass, but that wasnothing: few of us died because of this. Even when the Red-faced onessought us, they killed but few, for their hunger was soon stayed. Butsuddenly there came to us a time of much fear. Wherever we went we werechased by the Palefaces, and their fire-sticks were forever driving thefire that kills into our faces. Our Bull leader was always taking usfarther and farther away, and our Herd was getting smaller and smaller.It was a miserable life, for there was never any rest.
"At last our Bull said that we must go on a long trail, for the prairiewind was talking of nothing but danger; so we trailed far to the south.For days and days we passed across hot sand deserts in which there waslittle grass and hardly any drinking. It was terrible. My hump meltedto nothing; we were all like that, worse than we had ever been afterthe coldest time of little sun.
"Then we came to a land in which there was grass and water, and none ofthe Men-kind; and once more we were content, only for thinking of ourfriends that had been killed. I don't remember how long we werethere--I think I had raised two Calves, when one day the evil thatcomes of the Men was once more with us----"
"Yes, it is even as I have said," interrupted Arna; "when one thinks hehas got away safely, and stops for a little rest, he will see that evilGond, or some other of the Men-kind, waiting to do him harm."
"Just so," commented Prairie Cow; "the Palefaces had found us out. ButI must say there was less use of the fire-sticks than before, and Isoon came to know why they had trailed us across the Texas desert--theyhad come to steal our Calves. Never were any poor Animals so troubledby Man's evil ways as were we Buffalo. At first I thought they had notfire-sticks with them, and meant to kill and eat the Calves, they beingless able to fight. I remember the very day my Calf was taken. As theHerd fed in a little valley, we saw three Wild Horses coming towardus--we thought they were Wild Horses, but it was an evil trick of thePalefaces, for beside each Horse walked one of the Men. They were downwind from us, so we did not discover this. Suddenly our Herd leader--hewas a great Bull, too--gave a grunt of warning--much like Bear grunts,only louder; but still we could see nothing to put fear into ourhearts. Then our leader commenced to throw sand up against his sideswith his forefeet, and, lowering his head, shook it savagely. 'Why doeshe wish to battle?' I wondered, for the Wild Horses had never madetrouble for my people.
"Just then the Men jumped on their animals, and away we raced. Iremember as I ran wondering why there was no loud bark of thefire-stick, for I could see the Hunters galloping fast after us; infact one of them was close at my heels, for my youngest Calf, not twomonths old, could not run as swiftly as I wished. I was keeping himclose; and on my other side galloped my Calf that was a year old.
"Suddenly I heard a 'swisp' in the air, and my little curly-haired petgave a choking gasp and fell in the grass. Of course, I could not stopat once, and he bawled much as I did when the Wolf was at my hock. WhenI turned in great haste I saw the Paleface on top of him. I was justcrazy with rage. I charged full at the Man and his Horse, and it almostmakes me laugh now to think how I kept him jumping about. He did use asmall firestick on me, but I am sure it was because of the Man-fear, ofwhich Hathi told us; I saw it in his eyes plain enough. But who canstand against the fire-stick? Not even Bagh or Hathi, as we know, so Iwas forced to flee with the Herd.
"SUDDENLY I HEARD A 'SWISP' IN THE AIR, AND MY LITTLECURLY-HAIRED PET ..."]
"We galloped far, far, before we stopped; and that night there weremany mothers in the Herd bawling and crying for their lost Calves, forthese evil Men had stolen a great number. I felt so sad thinking of mylittle one's trouble that I could stand it no longer, so I went back onour trail, and, following up the scene of the Men-kind, came to wherethey had my Calf and the others. It was night. I soon found him, for aCow Mother's nose is most wise when looking for her young. But I couldnot get him away with me, for he was held fast by something; so Istayed there and let him drink of my milk.
"Even with the fear of a fire-stick on me I stayed with him, and in themorning when the Pale-faces saw me their eyes were full of much wonder.But I did not try to run away, and one of them, making many motions andnoises to the other two, I think, commanded them not to harm me. Well,good Comrades," sighed the Cow, regretfully, "mine has been a very longstory, I'm afraid, but when one talks of her Babe there is so much tobe said."
"And did they bring you here with the Calf?" asked Magh.
"Most surely," answered Prairie Cow; "and because of my milk he grewbig and strong, much faster than grew the other Calves, and is now bigBull of the Herd."
"But how fared the others with no mothers?" asked Chita.
"They gave them Cow mothers of the tame kind," answered the Cow.
Said Sa'-zada: "I wish all the Men who slay Animals, calling it sport,might have sat here to-night with us, that their hearts might beinclined more kindly toward you, Brothers, who war not against mykind."
"Sa'-zada," cried Hathi, in a gentle voice, "could you not put allthese things in a new book, and lend it to each one of your people sothat they might know of these true things? Surely then they would notseek for the life of each one of us that has done them no harm."
"I have a notion to try it, good Comrade," said the Keeper. "But in themeantime it is late, and now you must all go back to your corrals andcages."
"Good-night, Prairie Cow," trumpeted Hathi, softly, caressing herforehead with his trunk; "your people most certainly have been badlytreated by the Men."
Soon silence reigned over the home of these outcasts from the differentquarters of the world.
Ninth Night
The Story of Unt, the Camel
The Sa'-Zada Tales Page 11
