Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1853-03-19
I'll mis1ellaneo IS.
THE HUNTERS LAST BULLET
A WESTERN ADVENTURE.
BIT CAPT. A. T. MAXWELL, U. 3. A.

One bright, beautiful forenoon, some four
days. and three hundred miles after we had
passed the last outpost, some five or six of the
old veterans of the North West Company's
men, who were returning with us from the
lower station on the Yellow Stone, proposed,
as the steamer drew along side Of 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
boat, and placing so much as we could of it on
the top of the boilers to kiln dry-those old
hunters proposed, as | was about to say, to
have short buffalo hunt while the steamer
was woodng.
Nov then, lads" said old Judah Gaily, as
he led his Indian mustang ashore and flung
himself into the saddle the las, of our party
''now lads, we're all ready, and we'll keep this
trail right on up the river to the little Walnut
Bottom where we shall find buffalo any time
after noon."
OF we went at brisk canter, all excellent
Ily mounted and each armed with prime rifle
besides the usual oslfit peculiar to The front
Ier, consisting Of pistols, and delicate piece
of steel some fourteen inches in length, nal
an inch thick in the back, and keen enough tc
shave very clerety With, which arbitrary Gus
tom had christened and made famous as tht
Arkansas Toothpick.
1t was about ten A. NJ, when we left th,
steamer and SO well did our horses perform
after their six days rest that by half-pas
twelve we raised the sharp ridge which Gu
the course of the river at right angles, nearl,
twenty miles by the channel, and over fifteeI
2 by the route we had come, from the steamer
and ten minutes thereafter we were tearing
, headlong down the northern slope of the ridge
urging our horses like mad men TO fall upon
t herd Of full a thousand butfaloes, most @
whom were drinking when we first discoveret
them.
AT FIRST old Judah raved and shouted an
cursed us for crazy, know nothing fools for thu
driving right in among herd of buaaloe
> among which there were doubtless at leas
/ thirty monster bulls who would trample u
to death as easily as mastif could crush
, mouse beneath his paw.
But the old hunters warning was lost upo
my companions, who had sucked at their SID
arms during the ride till they were utterl
reckless of every thing. AS for myself, the
was my first appearance upon the prairi
$ stage in the character OF a buffalo hunter, an
= little did know or care Of the danger attend
!. ant upon an experiment like ours.
i When Calmly saw that all warning was use
:. less, he gave tremendous whoop, and dash
u ing forward at the head Of our little troop, b
q shouted:
"Come on ye cursed fools yell learn some
d thing before ye git out of this bottom. or m
name aint Judah Calmly"
= On the level bottom, and about hundre
rods from the base of the ridge, was belt c
= wood, or rather brush, which hid the buffs
loes from our sight as we gained the levt
ground; but from the great tramp we coul
hear on the other side. we judged that tn
herd were all a-foot and rolling of toward
the prairies
We were mistaken; for just as we reine
It in our horses on the edge Of the belt of brush
wood, which we found to be impossible,
}. quick cry of alarm from one Of our party, cal
ed our attention to the river bank not thre
hundred yards distant and there-stretchin
from the wood to the base of the ridge, was
solid wall of curly pates, vast humps an
brawny shoulders Of at least two thousand ar
= imals, which had been concealed by the baul
y so that we had not seen them from the ridg
o On they came-that avalanche Of monster
with smoking nostrels, cleaning eyebals. an
= their short. stumpy horns forming a serri
hedge more formidable than ever did the bay
onets of Napoleon's favortes, the invincibl
"Old Guard"
"Back to the ridge, before they come uPo
lus!" yelled two or three of our number anC
very calmly. Old judah commenced to reply
"Back to the ridge, eh? Fools! which {
you have ever seen horse which has bee
ridden fifteen miles, keep pace with bufa
bull' Il is full three hundred rods to ii