Late in his life, Russell returned to a series of large watercolors that depicted historical scenes from the western frontier prior to the coming of the settlements. Here, a buckskin-clad mountain man pauses to quickly reload his long rifle while a wounded buffalo, no longer able to run but its tail erect in defiance, prepares to stand its ground. In the background, another animal lies dead, while the rest of the herd flees with other hunters in pursuit. In the distance the Missouri River courses its way through a broad valley. In the foreground, a bleached buffalo scapula (shoulder blade) lies in a wallow. As the hunter reloads his rifle, his horse stands warily, just in case the wounded buffalo decides to charge. The man wears half leggings, designed to be worn over the pants legs to protect them. His fringed jacket appears to be cut in the “white man’s” fashion. He wears a scarf around his head, which indicates he is likely a Métis—a half breed descended from French and Indian forebears. The floral beadwork of his dress is interesting and could have antecedents in eastern Canada. However, the geometric style of his knife sheath seems to be Assiniboine. John Palliser, a young Englishman who visited the Far West in 1847, noted: “In running the buffalo you never bring your gun to your shoulder in firing, but present it across the pommel of the saddle, calculating the angle with your eye and steadying yourself, momentarily, by standing in the stirrups as you take aim.” Hunting the bison with single-shot weapons must have required enormous skill, to say nothing of fortitude.