Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-08
A Buffalo Hunt.
DY ONE OF THE HUNTERS.

am portrait painter by profession, or
rather acas. have long been too old to hold
the brush steadily. Many years ago, when the
other side of the Mississippi was the Far
West,' [ went rambling off there one summer
in hopes of recruiting my health which had be-
come much impaired. made the acquaintance
of tribe of Indians and took ap my abode in
their village. They were much pleased with
some rough pictures that l made of few of
their prominent chiefs, and my fame spread
abroad in the woods. After my health, which
constantly improved, had become vigorous, l
used to go off hunting with some Of the
" braves" every few days One beautiful
morning, two of my best friends in the tribe
invited me to accompany them on buffalo
hunt. We were soon mounted, and gallopping
over rolling prairie, in the highest spirits The
Indians took much pride in displaying their ad-
mirable horsemanship, with their head-dresses
Of feathers futtering in the air, and their ami
mails prancing with grace and vigor; and I,
feeling new strength at every breath l drew,
was indulging delightful anticipations of flu
ture return to home and friends, when some dis
tant object seemed suddenly to have caught the
view of my kind guides, and they brought their
horses to dead stand. Turning my eyes in
the direction in which they pointed l saw
dark spot on the summit of a distant swell in
our front, which appeared to be moving slowly
downward. The next moment second object
was seen coming over the hill. My companions
now informed me that they weic bufaloes, and
that we must proceed with the utmost caution,
or they would be alarmed and run far away,
before we could possibly approach them. They
then drew off towards one side, intending to get
them between us and the wind and, although
we soon perceived that we were getting much
nearer to them, they showed no signs of apprc-
hension, and we believed they did not even OBJ
serve us. Fastening on, in perfect silence, our
horses seemed to tread more softly than ever on
the prarle-grass and we began to wonder that
the animals, usually so much on the alert on
open ground, still remained almost motionless
We pressed on at full speed, and were fattering
ourselves that we should be upon them in a few
moments, when horseman suddenly made his
appearance from behind the hill, and came
charging down towards us with headlong
rush Behind hm followed another and an
other. We did not wait to count thcm for
my companions, with a suppressed cry turned
their horses, and fled like lightning. All was
now plain even to me. The supposed bufaloes
were mere decoys. a party of enemies had
becri lurking about, behind the swes of the
prairie, waiting for an opportunity to take
r scalps, and, on seeing us approach, had formed
two mimic bulaloes, Of skins placed over the
heads of 1aen who were skillful in initiating
: the motions of those animals while grazing
t The remainder Of the party had kept out Of
sight, until they supposed we were near enough
to enable them to overtake us, before we could
get within isgIt Of the Indian village we had
left; and now We were to suffer the consequent
ccs of their Ingenious and successful plot.
! Never had ridden at such reckless speed
and never were my fears so much excited.
had no time to ask questions, even if | had
known enough of the language of my friends
/ to make myself understood. | saw too plainly,
by the extreme dread expressed by my compan-
= ions who were running their horses at their ut
O most speed, that was engaged in a race Tor
: life; and was agitatcd between the fear of fall
ing bohind, and the joy at finding that was
i still able to keep up with them. Thus We
it dashed on, without giving ourselves time eLousl
v even to look behind, until began to hope that
20 we might vet reach Il turn round Il swell, slmC
!. distance before us, which would bring the vii
. lagc in sight, and give It's some hope of rescue
;. But soon heard the galopping Of our pursu
It ers and the trampling rapidly came nearer
n Redoubng our efforts, we were unable to gair
d anything upon them. In a few moments,
heard strange noso beside mo, when one o
" our party fell forward, and rolled from his sea
ID down upon the prairie. Again heard the sin
r gular sound, which was that produced by
" spear thrust violently through my other gcner
ns Gus friend and he also, the next moment, IA,
e on the ground, long distance behind-so IA
ID had my horse passed on, before could turn IN,
0. head. With horror expected my turn to com
ne next, and imagined bloody spear runnn,
I'd through me, with the irresistible power given
in by the weight of horse and rider combinel
he while moving at that rapid rate, and with a
re their force concentrated upon tho steel point
er such a formidable weapon But, what IL It
,ir lief was out of danger. The enemy ha
, halted after the fall of my last companion, an
at were already on their retreat They had ut
I'd even stopped to scalp their victims, but WEI
an galloppng back across the prairie. and 500
he disappeared Why they had spared my life,
rs never knew with certainty, but inclined to thinl
mt from what afterwards heard and saw, tn,
an they had been told Of me, and formed s)mc S,
Id porstitious notions of my powers as a painte
They may, perhaps, have seen some person b
fore them, or feared to approach any nearer
C the Indian village we had left But. whatev
er was the cause, | survived, safe and sound
he ---+. -+.~-A- -----------
he Coop FsnrNG.-N, N. Wiggin, Esq, of Kei
he nebunk, caught, one afternoon last week, or
I'd hundred and twelve trout, besides travelling tc
OF miles to and from the fishing ground
{ A., nx,t ;,t, ho4, 4