Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-06-24
ON Scrip Boob
ELK RUNNERS or MISSOURI.


ELK RUNNERS or MISSOURI.
In the year 1878, tho Missouri Fur Com.
pany had a post just below Council Bluffs.
named Fort Lisa, after the g0utIemnu who
established it. There was much CONNIE
ltition IN the trade ut that tine and IL was
a great point to select tbs yery Lest ue,,
for runfaers.
NJ lisa had with him i young Ken.
t~nolxiail named d., d fine, daliuu fellow
with q frame of iron, the speed OF the
ostrich, aud the endufaDes Of Che enn,ol
He was fortunate, moreover, IN Clio reten.
tion OF O balfbreed, called Mi Bnuf who
notwithstanding his name, Quad beef,) was
considered OF hardly less merit than ID.
and between the two men. conAenuontly'
a keen rivalry existed. ID. had travelled
on foot, from the Blackbird Hills 10 Fort
Lisa, q distance Of ninety miles, III ihir.
teen hours. Nal Bmnr also boosted some
astonishing faats Of bottom and both
were .tatiened at the Fort, during the
time wo speak OF, for the purpose Of pro.
viding %venison.
One evening IN July, tho weather OK.
tremeiy warm, the grass high, and the
post uhIurnished with meat, the two men
were playing at cards, when their EN-.
ployef came up, reproaehed them with
their negligence, and ordered them TO
start, the first thing in the morning, on a
hunt. Obedience was promised Of course,
but the game continued, eaeh moment
growing more desperate, the spirit Of ri.
yalry p~eryading their hearts IN every.
thing, till finally. morning broke, as the
half breed declared himself to be broken.
They fell asleep on the spot, and the sun
was we'll up when Mr.. l.. informed of the
case, again approaohed-in no pleasant
humor it may be supposed-cursed, sacred
and c~arahoo'd, until the ~delinquents, fully
aroused, and a little ashamed, took their
guns and started for Papillon Creek, on
the edge Of the prairie, about five miles
off. They there discovered a gang Of elk,
when the Kentuckian suggested a plan oil
approach, which would enable them to
get a good shot. The half breed, rank.
ling at his companions triumph the night
previous, observed, sulkily:
Il don't kill elk with my gun, but with
my knife.'
The pluck of the other was reused in an
instant, rightly interpreting the vaunt as
a challenge to a trial of speed and bottom,
and on his saying, proudly, that what his
companion could do, he could do also,
both hing their guns in a tree, and ap.
preaching the band as near as possible,
they suddenly raised the Indian yell,
which had a most paralyzing effect upon
the animals.
OF the creatures went across o low
prairie, a few miles in width, leaving
their pursuers far behind but steadily
the latter continued their pace, neverthe-
less. They reached the bluf-ascended
Observation-Disclosures resolve upper
most in their minds, " never to say fall
League after league the chase and race
continued, the men painting like hounds,
cooling their mouths in crossing an occa.
%sional branch" by throwing up the wa
ter with their palms but still unpassing,
until, approaching Elk Horn River, a
distance of twenty miles, by mutual agree
ment they took q circuit with an increase
Of speed, got ahead Of the elk and actual
LIP prevented them from crossing. Miles
and mites upon q new trick, the chase
continued, the animals by this time SO ex-
hausted by heat and thirst, and above all
fright-for the hunters had incessantly
sent forth their yells, in this case as
much a scream of mutual defiance as an
artlhce Of the chase-that they scarcely
exceeded their pursuers in speed the
latter toaming and maddened with excite
ment, %redoubIed their efforts, until the
elk, reaching a prairie pond or sink"
the hunters ct their heels, plunged des-
pairingly in, lay down, and abandoned
themselves, needless of all else, to the
qualification Of their thirst, The frantic
rivals, knife in hand, dashed in after their
prey, began the work of slaughter, paus-
ing not till they had butchered sixteen
elk, dragged them from the water, and
cut and prepared the meat for transpor.
tation to the fort, whittier they had to re-
turn for horses.
Had thRvface ended? No! for victory
or death was the determination and as
yet neither had given away. Off dashed
again the indomitable half breed. and at
his side, the unyielding Kentuokian.-.
Ridge and hollow, stream and timber, (no
yelling now) in desperate silence were
left behind. The sun was sinking blind
and staggering, : on they went they
reached the Fort, haggered, wild, and
~voiceless, as from the fires Of the savage,
the " gauntlet Of fends. A crowd gath.
cred around the exhausted men, who had
arrived together, and now lay fainting,
still side and side, a long time, before
they were enabled, by signs and whispers
to tell that they had run down sixteen
elk, and yet cculdn't say which was the
best man
wwrY - Nrr ~ - t. n u