Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-08-30

heads, and turning as they run, attempt t.
gore my horse; but as they were already a
full speed there was no force in their onset
and as Pauline ran faster than they. the,
were always thrown behind her in the eff
tort. soon began to distinguish cows a
mong the throng. One in front of me wa.
to my liking, and pushed close to her side
Dropping the reins fired, holding the muz
zle OF the gun within foot of her shoulder
Quick as lightning she sprang at Pauline
the little mare lodged the attack, and lost
sight of the wounded animal amid the tu
mutuous crowd Immediately after, | Sc.
lected another, and urging forward Pauline
shot into her both pistols in successon.-
For awhile kept her in view, but in at.
tempting to load my gun, lost sight of her
also in the confusion. Believing her to be
MORALLY wounded and unable TO keep up
with the herd, checked my horse. The
crowd rushed onward The dust and tu-
mutt passed away, and on the prairie, far
behind the rest, | saw solitary buffalo
galloping heavily. In moment / and my
victim were running side by side. My fire
arms were all empty, and had in my pouch
nothing but rifle bullets, too large for the
pistols aud too small for the gun. loaded
the latter, however, but as often as | level
ed it to fire the bullets would roll out of
the muzzle aud the gun returned only a
faint report, like a squib, as the powder
harmlessly exploded. galloped in front of
the buffalo and attempted to turn her back /;
but her eyes gared and her name bristled,
and lowering her head, she rushed at me
with astonishing fierceness and activity
Again and again | rode before her, and a.
gain she repeated her furious charge. But
little Pauline was in her element. She
lodged her enemy at every rush, until at
length the buffalo stood still, exhausted with
her own efforts; she painted, and her tongue
hung lolling from her jaw.
Riding to little distance, | alighted,
thinking to gather handful of dry grass
to serve the purpose of wadding, and load
the gun at my leisure. No sooner were my
feet on the ground than the buffalo came
bounding in such rage towards me that |
jumped back again into the saddle with all
possible dispatch. After waiting a few
minutes more, made an attempt to ride up
and stab her with knife, but the expert
ment proved such as no wise man would
repeat AT length bethinkng me of the
lrlnges at the seams of my buckskin panta-
looms, | jerked off few of them, and re-
loading the gun, forced them down the bar
rel to keep the bullet in its place; then
approaching, | shot the wounded buffalo
through the heart. Sinking on her knees.
she rolled over lieless on the prairie TO
my establishment, | found that instead of
COW, had been slaughtering stout year.
ling bull. No longer wondering at the
iierceness he had shown, ] opened his
throat, and cutting ont his tongue tied it
at the back of my saddle. My mistake was
one which more experienced eye than mine
might easily make in the dust and confusion
of such chase
Then for the first time | had leisure to
look at the scene around me. The prairie
IN front was darkened with tile retreating
multitude, and on the other hand the buffa-
10 came filling uD in endless unbroken COL
umns from the low plains upon the river
The Arkansas was three or four miles dis
tant. | turned and moved slowly towards
it. A long time passed before, far down in
the distance distinguished the white cove
ring of the cart and the little black specks
of horsemen before and behind it. Draw
ing near recognized Shaw's elegant tunic
and red flannel shirt conspicuous far off.
overlook the party and asked him what sue
cess he had met with. lie had assailed a
fat COW, shot her with two bullets, and NOR
tally wounded her. But neither of us were
prepared for the chase that afternoon, and
Shaw like myself, had no spare bullets in
his pouch; SO he abandoned the disabled
animal to Henry Chatillon who followed,
dispatched her with his rifle, and loaded his
horse with her meat.
We had encamped close to the river. The
night was dark, and as we lay down we
could hear mingling with the bowling of
wolves the hoarse bellowngs of the buffalo,
like the ocean beating upon distant coast
Parkman's Oregon and California IraUels.