Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1859-10-01
A Buffalo Hunt.

Just met large Santa Fe train, saying that
Buffalo were plenty off at the northward. l
determined to 60 on a hunting expedition, so
proposed to one Of our party, named Milo
Roberts, to accompany me, who fell in with
the proposition, taking our rifles aud canteens,
and about l Id of bread, we started. We
tramped off to the northward II miles, where
we came across an old hunter, out after the
same game. We found plenty of signs but no
game; he concluded that the Buffalo were on
farther north, and started back after giving us
instructions in the mode Of hunting them. We
kept on about miles farther, when on rising
the divide, between Big Cow Creek and Smoky
Hill Fork, we saw what fairly made us shout
for joy, about miles distant the prairie was
dotted with Buffalo. About this time it COM
menced to rain, and had the appearance Of be-
ing cold, drizzling afternoon, but our game
was in sight, and we did not care for rain or
anything else, in fact, the only thing that occu.
pied our minds was to get q shot at a Buffalo
The first thing was to make a circle to the
westward, to get to leeward of them, on account
of their seeming us and taking flight. In the
course of an hour, we had succeeded in getting
to leeward, and about half mile distant from
them. We could see that between them and
us, there was sharp ravine that ran close along
by them. We knew that if we could get into
that, we could get shot, and the only way to
do this was by creeping upon our hands and
knees, We took off our hats and placed them
in our shirts, tied our handkerchiefs around our
guu-lock8, to keep them dry (ror it was raining
all the time) and commenced our task of creep
reached the ravne at last without their dscov-
ering u.s. we took up the ravine till we were op-
posite the buffalo. A sly look over the bank,
showed that they were not more than $50 yards
distant. The nearest one was large overgrown
bull. My companion, could see, was getting
excited. told him to keep cool, and take good
aim Just back of the fore-shoulder, and | would
do the same, for I was as cool and steady as
when shooting at target. We fred together
The Buffalo made sudden jump sidewise, and
then started of after the rest of the herd, which
by this time were in full fight over the prairie
The one that we fred at was wounded in the
foreshoulder, and l knew that my shot must
have taken effect. My conrad shot, he did
not know where, but he thought too far back.
We loaded our guns as speedily as possible, and
gave chase after them. Being Aeeter on foot
than Milo, soon left him far behind and gain
ed on the Bufalos which every now and then
would stop to look at me and then start on
again. After running them about an hour, 1
could see they were getting weary especially
the wounded one, and was gaining in on them
fast was soon within a hundred yards of
and at the risk of their turning upon me. 1
ran in ahead of him and cut him off from the
rest of the herd. ! did not want to risk shot
on the run, and l was getting very tired as
well as the Buffalo. 1 started on after him to
get him tired out so he would STOP and could
get fair shot He took OFF for a ravine and
when he went over the bank out Of my sight,
he turned at bay, and waited for me to come
up. / ran up over the bank and there be stood
about yds from the top, and as came, he
made lunge at me with his head to the ground,
but jumped to one side and be missed me and
stopped as he did so l fred at his heart and
he dropped upon his knees and rolled over on
bis side. l took my bowie knife and bled him
handsomely, and then ran up the bank and
swung my hat to my comrade, who was just in
sight, but came up soon almost tired out. We
each Of us cut out about 25 lbs. from his rump
and took his tongue, and started for camp,
which we thought must be about l9 or 20
miles in a southerly direction.
had quite forgotten to mention that all the
time, from when we commenced to creep to-
wards the Buffalo, until after he was killed, we
were surrounded by wolves, both the large grey
and prairie wolfe, who seemed to know what we
were after as well as ourselves When we start
ed for camp it was o'clock p M, we tramped
on the same course until 10 ot night when it
was so dark, we fell into ravines and buffalo
waows and Milo was tired out and could 90
no farther. We tried to make fire, but could
not, having no wood, nothing but buffalo chips
and those all wet through he having thick
heavy Overcoat lay down, and was soon asleep
but having no coat myself nothing but pants,
shirt, hat, and one mocasin, having lost the 9TH
er in a ravine in the dark.
never passed so hard night in my life, nor
never wish to again. 1t almost ruined my foot
my toes being frost-bitten before. And of all
the dismal sounds, it is to be out on the prairie
in the dark night with fresh meat, and hear
pack Of wolves bowling around you 10 a circle,
and only kept off by your walking back and
forth. / could endure it no longer than o'cl'k
in the morning when rousng up Milo, we start
ted on our course. When daylight came, at
o'clock, we could just see the timber in the dis
tance, where we knew our camp must be. We
arrived in camp at a. m just as our train was
getting ready to leave, and il ever you saw two
hard looking fellows, it was us. Milo was not
so bad of as myself he having good coat, be-
sides boots and socks, while had nothing but
pants, shirt, and one mocasn, toes frozen, and
covered 10 mud, and then having to walk 20
miles the same day, to our next camp.
Yours, &C.. A. E. SHEPARD.
LA MoUETAIN, the balloonist, with a compan-
| ion who went nm from Watartown N Y soTne