The Empire County argus., 1854-06-03
THE DEATM CHASE
OR
The Hunters Last Bullet.
BY CAPT. A. T. MAXWELL, U. s. A.

Onc bright beautiful forenoon, some tour Gays
and three hundred miles after had past the last
Outposs, some five six of the old veterans OF the
North West Company's men, who were returning
with us from the lower station of the Yellow Stone,
promised the steamer drew up along side of the
river bank to wood-whch for the last four days
had been done by cutting and splitting the green
scrub oak, poplar, and such small growth as grew
along the river most convenient to the boat. and
placing much as we could of it, on the top of the
boilers to kiln dry-these old hunters proposed as
was about say, to have short buffalo hunt while
the steamer was wooding.
Now then lad said udah Calmly, as he led his
Indian Mustang ashore and flung himself into the
saddle, the last of our party--'now lads we're all
ready, and we'll take this trail right up the river,
to the Little Walnut Bottom, where we shall find
buffalo any time after noon
OFF we went at a brisk canter, all excellent noun :
ted, and each armed with prime rifle besides the
usual outfit peculiar to the frontier consisting OF
pistols, and u delicate bit Of steel some fourteen
inches in length half an inch thick in the back and
keen enough to shave very cleverly, with which ar
btrary custom has ciristcncd and made famous as
the Arkansas Tooth Pick.
1t was about 10 A. NJ, when we left the steamer.
and so we'll did our horses perform after six days.
rest, that by halfpas twelve we crossed the sharp
ridge which cut the course of the river at right
giles, nearly twenty miles by the channel, and over
fifteen by the rout we had came from the steamer
and ten minutes thereafter were tearing head
long down the sloap of the ridge. urging our horses
like very madmcn to fall upon herd Of full thou
sand buff,iocs most of which drinking when
we first discovered them.
At first Old judah raved and shouted and cursed
us for crazy know-nothing fools, for thus driving
right in among herd of butfaloes among which
there were doubtless thirty monster bulls who
would trample us to death easy mastf could
crush mouse beneath his paw.
Pt1tt tho
companions, who had sucked at their side arm du-
ring the ride until they were perfectly reckless OF
everything. AS for myself that my first ap-
pearance on the prairie in the character of buffalo
hunter and little did know or care of the danger
attendant upon an experiment like ours.
When Calmly saw that at warning was useless.
he gave tremendous whoop and dashing forward
at the head of little troop, shouted
Come on ye cussed fools: yell learn something
before you get out of this bottom or my name amt
Judy Calmly
On the level bottom, and about hundred rods
from the base of the ridge, belt Of wood or
rather brush which hid the bualoes from our sight
we gained the level ground: but from the great
tread We could here on the other side, we Judged
that the whole herd were all On foot and rolling of
towards TIE prairies
We were mistaken for just as we reined our hor-
ses on the edge of the belt Of brushwood, which We
found to be impassable, very quick cry Of alarm
from of our party called our attention towards
the river bank, not three hundred yards distant
DEMONSTRATING from the wood to the base of the
ridge was solid wall of curly patcs, vast humps
and brawny shoulders of ut least two thousand an
imals which had been concealed by the bank, SC
that we had not seen them from the ridge.
On they came--that avalanche of monsters with
smoking nostrils, cleaning eycballs and their short
stumpy horns forming serrled hedge more formi-
.dable than ever did the bayonets Ofeven Napoleon
favorites-the invincible Old Guards
Back back to the ridge before they come upon
us = yelled two or three Of our number; and very
calmly, old Judah commenced to reply
Back to the ridge eh Fools, which Of you ever
seen horse that had been ridden fifteen miles keep
rods from here to the foot Of the hill while these
fellers are Jess than as many yards from US. You
see we must
Ha-by the heart of John, Jacob Astor, we're
in tight place now, my lads he yelled out, IS he
was interrupted by the dull lazy whz of at least a
dozen rifle bullets, some of which came most socia-
BILE near our persons, as | myself judged from a
sharp tap on my metal canteen slung under my left
arm and rather clean cut aperture through the
lapel of my hunting irock
Now you see lads, we must work our horses into
this thicket if we can so far that none Of them rol
ling devils will get n foul of us, and when they are
all past we must steer for the river, for yon fellows
are Crows and we had better take our chance
among the horns and hoofs than to get in range OF
these red niggers rifles Come, come lads in wild
ye'
Bu. the old hunters advice had occupied several
moments of our time that should have been devoted
to digging into the branches and single horse
had made brake into the dense wall OF brlers the
bufaloes with plunge, roar and crash were
rPcn US