The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-11-14
a srEEpLE CHASE ON THE pRAIRTEs

All his vows SO fond and winning;
Tangled in loves web, indeed - -
p = Lisette, my daughter, mind your spinnlngtS
,....s. ---.-s-s------- Esa.
A sTEEPLE CHASE ON THE PRAIRIEs.
The first day of June, lS49! Six years
ago! How stranger than fiction it seems
that on this sixth anniversary of that evel
eventful day, after traversing all the vicis.
situdes of experience, after boxing the com.
pass of life's stormy sea and shaking hands
with every extremity of fortune, | should
be seated at last in this quiet little sanctum;
the hum of that mighty city, which was ther
the goal of our hopes; the wild freedom oi
the illimitable prairies exchanged for the
confines Of dingy Office; my snorting charg-
er discarded for this old arm chair; the badge
of the pioneer laid aside for more peace.
full but mightier weapon, this "gray goose
quill" .. .-aa. - g
Yes! Six long years Of stern experience,
of lonely wanderings, of ever changing,
never ceasing toll and turmoil, have th,ng.
ed the boy into the man, the youthful ro-
nance of the emancipated student, into the
stern, fixed purposes, the utilita.ian, views
of the slave of business. But have all their
stormy vicissitudes and wild excitcments
blotted from the mind the fearful memories
of that terrific scene, long ago, when the
tyro of the wilderness first looked on deathi
Ah, no! On this sixth anniversary of that
memorable day, the thronging memories Of
that fearful hour crowd thick upon me. The
first sudden moment of alarm that terrible
warwhoop, bursting from fifty savage throats
the reckless desperation, the thrilling ex-
citement of that wild chase Of eight miles.
with fifty painted demons sailing after me
on their wild mustangs; the appalling fear,
as the sweat gathered on the Aanks OF my
flying gray and the foam few from his
heaving nostrils, lest his strength and bot
tom should fail me in my dire extremity;
and above all, the exulting thrill of graft
tude and rapture when the white wagon tops
of my comrades hove in sight, as we few
over the summit of the last hill that dlvid-
ed us from safety, and the wild howl of the
bafied horde burst on my startled ears-all
all come back; nothing is forgotten, and
that unspcakable revulsion Of feeling, when
my frightened steed rushed into camp, and
his duty done, his force spent, his powers
exhausted, dropped almost lifeless to the
earth, MS reeled from the saddle and fer
vently thanked that Providence who had
looked down upon and protected me in my
fearful need.
1t was on this day six years ago. Eighty
FIVE of US, weary wanderers over the track
less prairies, were month after month toll
ing onward to this distant land of gold,
whose lofty sierras and summer plains have
since gathered to their eternal embraces SO
many member of that gallant, youthful
band. 1t was Sunday in the wilderness; the
wagons all sscorralled" on the banks of the
ssLittle Blue;' the toll worn mules scattered
around, joyfully cropping the virgin grass
under the watchful vigilance of the guard.
Some Of the party were bathing in the clear
stream, some cooking, mendng clothes,
washing, lounging, or smoking, and all en-
joying to the full a glorious sunshiDy day of
rest and Incidence, when some evil genius
possessed me with the sudden desire to be
the first Of the party to slay the long-ex-
pected s'bufalo," an animal we had not yet
encountered, but which now began to be
the constant theme of conversation and con-
lecture. Several of the bows were hunting
turkeys in the margin of the timber which
skirted the river, so that when saddled up
my steed, and, with rife at my saddle bow,
started out to the northward, the few who
observed my departure exchanged sly winks
at my probable disappointment, but never
dreamed of the thrilling adventure that
was so rashly rushing into. Although we
knew that We were about the con-
fines of the Pawnee territories, and had in
deed been warned by convoy Of trappers,
whom We had met but few days. previous
returning from their wintering ground in the
mountains, that their war parties were out,
yet, confident in our numbers and the entire
inability of our unpracticed eyes to detect
any traces Of them, we had attributed the
well-meant warning Of the mountaineers,
rather to spirit Of newsmongering than
anything else, and rather despised those
wild Bedouins of the prairies of whom We
had heard SO much, but had as yet failed to
see. $50 =-.--.
Far away over the beautiful undulating
and vernal bosom Of the trackless prairies,
| rode gently along, on the qui rire for any
indications Of the object Of my desires, but,
though | eagerly scanned the horizon as l
proceeded, not a living being met my eye,
except few shy antelopes, whose wary eau
tion and quick perception rendered them i'm
possible of approach upon the open prairies.
Far as the vision could reach, nought but q
undulating surface Of gentle
swelling and naked hills, covered only by
the buffalo grass and flowers of every hue,
extended in every direction toward the far
horizon, where the blue sky of summer kiss
ed the distant hills, glowing in the fresh YER
dure of the advancing season.
Struck with the voiceless solitude Of this
antrodden desert, ! rode slowly along, iazi-
y musing on the strange vicissitudes which
had so suddenly translated me from college
halls to this wild scene, and had almost inn
placed three or four miles be-
tween me and the camp, when far in the dis
lance, directly in front of me, discerned Q
column of dust, which, as supposed, be-
tokened the long desired buffalo. Away
went romance and reflection. The ardor Of
the hunter took possession of me, and has
ny !oosing my pistols and glancing st my
fl1e's lock, lstrpck spurs to my ste6d and
gailoped forward, never doubling that the
opportunity SO ardently coveted was at
charging down the hill and across the in-
!ervenng valley, rose another gently swell
ing TON OF the prairie, and a. gained the
summit, again the moving cloud Of dust met
my gaze, and considerably nearer, and % /
closely regardedit, perceived that IL was
rapidly approaching, and began to dis
cern the flashing Of bright objects cleaning
out from its obscurity. This looked ike
buffalo and as the object whateyer Il might
be, continued to approach, l halted for =
better view, and was not long in making out
Ae - ~ T. Ses Z r