The Kansas herald of freedom., 1858-07-24

themselves in such storms is by living
down and waiting till the storm ceases.
Animals have been left in their stables
for two days without water during
storm, because men could not venture
out into the storm without being blown
away and lost.
A WOLF CHAsE.-By the 28th of April
the us medicatri5 nature had effectually
fulfilled its Office, so that physical action
was again found not disagreeable diver
sion. The most exciting recreation
known at Fort Kearney is wolf chasing,
A chase was proposed and readily agreed
to. A few hours before sunset some good
horses were saddled, with pack of grey
hounds at their heels, ready for the hunt
Our little party, led by Lieut. Lathrop,
struck out for the open prairie. After
proceeding several miles, We observed
wolf about half a mile distant. As he did
not see US, we rode on to within aquarter
of mile Of him, when he raised himself
up and surveyed US inquisitively, for
moment and "put." At that distance he
seemed like great grizzly hog; even
his gait in running off at first was very
much like that of hog. Seeing the wolf
make of, we started our horses into aqnick
trot; the greyhounds, which up to this time
had kept at our heels, Immediately MOTTO
ing our increased pace, raised their heads
and shot forward to the van. No sooner
had they advanced from the cover of our
horses than they perceived the wolf, and
stretched themselves to the chase. They
strung themselves out in most beautiful
style, the fleetest ahead, the heavier and
stronger ones in the centre, and the weak
est and smallest in the rear. "Sweet-
heart" long, active hound, took the
lead, and held it some distance in advance
of all his competitors. After him they
ran one close upon the heels of another,
or two, three and four, in an irregular
line nearly abreast. Every one, eager in
the chase, leapt on at :he top of his speed.
Their backs rose and fell as they bounded
over the receding earth like the succeed
ing waves of meadow grass when high
wind blows, or like the quick roll of bill
lows at sea.
The hounds no sooner entered full upon
the chase than our horses started in swift
pursuit. The fleetest animal at the fort
had been courteously extended to the
amateur hunter, and no sooner was he
given the rein than he parted company
with his companions. With cracking
hoof she spurned the eehoing earth and
rushed forward swift as the winds, pass.
ing all the hounds save Sweetheart -
Time and distance were nowhere, for it
seemed as though minute did not pass
before he was close upon the wolf: The
well trained steed then again obeyed the
guiding rein, which before he had held
but as silken thread. On approaching
near the wolf he discovered more of his
fierce savage nature. He was twice as
large as Newfoundland dog. How the
long, slender grey hound should stop that
fierce, tough beast, was matter of great
curiosity to me. Sweetheart" how
ever, soon solved the problem. He was
then several yards behind the wolf, which
was making tracks for his life, when, with
few more of his magnificent leaps, the
hound hurled his shoulders against the
rump of the wolf while the latter was
making leap. This impetus, added to
his own momentum, hurled the wolf head
over heels in most laughable manner.
1t was topsey turvey turnup of most
grotesque character, though not over fun
ny to the poor lupus, who knew too well
its fatal consequences. So, leaping up
with his quickest possible speed, with
might and main again he stretched HIM
self to the death race. But it was in vain.
Fleet " Sweetheart " bounded thrice and
nabbed him by the tail i; then the hound,
drawing himself back upon his launches,
swung his head to the left with all his
power. The force, of course, again threw
| the wolf from his feet and turned his
| head to his pursuers, who were DOW close
upon him. 1t is thus the light, feet dogs
bay and stay the wolf until the heavier.
fighting dogs get up to kill him. Some
of the smaller dogs got bitten or struck By
the wolf and went off bowling piteousiy.
The fighting hounds fell upon him alto
gether, attacking him everywhere at the
same time, so it was not more than a
minute before his vitality was past.
Prairie wolves generally fly from man,
though when famished with hunger they
will sometimes swarm together, attack
and kill him. Men laying on the prairie,
wrapped up in their blankets, are some
times snaked forth from their beds and
devoured by the wolves. So Western
men think the slaughter of them in any
way is legitimate.
A BUFFALO HUNT.-On the ensuing
day, the 29th Of April, three of us left
Kearney on buffalo hunt. A six mule
wagon accompanying us to bring in the
animals that we proposed to kill; also an
ambulance drawn by four mules, in which
we could ride and rest our horses. We
followed up the course of Platte river for
seventeen miles, and saw thousands OF
bufaioes on the other side, but not SOL
itary one on the Kearney side. Leaving
the river at Seventeen Mile Point, we
took to the sand hills that run along par
allel with and few miles from it, until
we were twenty-five miles from the fort
1t was then two O'Clock. The sun was
unnervingly hot, and We had not seen a
buffalo on that side of the river, save the
immense herd which was discovered from
the hill upon which we then stood, and
that herd was eight or ten miles further
from Kearney. 1t was absolutely neces-
sary that we should return that night, as
the troops were all to be reviewed on the
ensuing day by the commanding officer.
If we went after the distant herd we
could not return to Kearney that night /;
therefore we could not seek the herd
Disappointedly we turned towards the
fort, driving direction that took us fur
ther from the river, hoping that we might
in that way still come across some of the
monsters of the plains. We had not pro-
eeeded far when we perceived three bulls
about two miles of, and immediately
headed for them. On approaching nearer,
we discovered there were seven of them.
When about three-quarters of mile of
we stopped the carriages, got into our sad
dies and circled long distance around 70
get to the leeward Of the buffalo, so they
could not smell us. Taking fortunate
u i