Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1853-04-28
From the Northern LiEhtI
The DeaIh Chase; er'
THE HUNTERS LAST BULLET.
WESTERN ADVENTURE.
NV carr. A. T. MAXWELL, U. s. A.


miles after we had passed the last
outpost, some five or six Of the old
veterans of the Northwest Compa.
nv's men, who were returning with
us from the lower station on the Vel.
low Stone, proposed, as the steamer
drewup along side the bank to wood
which for the last four days had
been done by cutting and splitting
the green scrub oak, poplar, and
such other small growth as grew
along the bank most convenient to
the beat, and placing SO much as we
could of il on the top of the boilers
TO kiln dry-these old hunters pro-
posed, as was about to say. TO have
a short buffalo hunt while the
steamer was wooding.
"Now, then, lads" said Old judah
Calmly, as he led bis Indian mustang
ashore and flung himself into the
saddle the last OF our party-"now
lads. we're all ready, and we'll keep
This trail right on up the river 10 the
Little Walnut Bottom where we
shall find buffalo any time after
noon."
of we went at a brisk canter,
all excelleDily mounted and each
armed with prime rife, besides the
usual outfit peculiar to the frontier
consisting OF pistols, and delicate
bit of steel some fourteen inches IN
length, half an inch thick in the
hack. and keen enough TO shave very
cleyerly with, which arbitrary Gus
tom had christened and made ia-
nous as the Arkansas Tooth pick.
Itwas about ten A. NJ. when we
left the steamer, and SO well did our
horses perform after six days resi-,
that by haIf-past twelve we raised
the sharp ridge which cut the course
of the river at right angles, nearly
twenty miles by the channel and
over fifteen by the route we mao
come. from the steamer; and Ten
minutes thereafter we were tearing
headIong down the northern slope o.
the ridge, urging our horses like very
mad men 10 iall upon a herd OF iuiI
a thousand buffaloes, most OF which
were drinking when we first ols'
covered them.
At first old Judah raved and
shouted and cursed US for crazy
know-nothing fools, for thus crIVlne
right in among herd OF butfai0es
among W hich there were Goao'ies'
at least thirty monster bulls, who
would trample US TO death as easily
as mastif could crush a mouse be-
meath his paw.
But the old hunters warning was
lost upon my companions, who hac
sucked at their side arms during tht
ride till they were utterly reckless o
everything. As for myself, that wa
nv first appearance on a prairie
stage in the character OF a buffalo
hunter, and little did know or care
OF the danger attendant upon an ex
pertinent like ours.
When Calmly saw that all warn
ing was useless, he gave tremen
dous whoop, and dashing forward a
the head OF our little troop, NJ
shouted :,
"Come on ye cussed foolsl ye'l
learn something before ys git out 0
this bottom, or my name amt Judai
Calmly"
On the level bottom, and about
hundred rods from the base OF tn
ridge. was a belt of wood, or rathe
brush, which hid the buffaloes ron
our sight as we gained the leve
ground; but from the great tram
which we could hear on the othe
side, we judged that the herd wer
all a.foot and rolling off toward
the prairies.
We were mistaken; for just as W
reined in our horses on the edge
the bslt. of brushwood, which W
found 10 be impossible, quick or
of alarm from one OF our party
called our attention towards th
river bank not three hundred yard
distant, and there-stretching froT
tie wood 10 the base Of the ridg'
was a solid wall Of curly pates, va:
humps and brawny shoulders OF q
least two thousand animals whic
had been concealed by the bank, S
that we had not seen them from til
ridge.
On they came-that avaIanche
monsters, with smoking nostril
cleaning eyebalIs, and their shor
stumpy horns forming serri'
hedge more formidable Than ever q
the bayonets Of even Napoleon's I
vorlies--the inVincible "Old Guard
"Backl back, to the ridge befo
they come upon usr' yelled two
three of our number; and, We
calmly, Old Judah commenced to
ply
which of you has ever seen a hor
which has been ridden fifteen mile
keep pace with buffalo bulll 1t
r Il