East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1861-10-29
A RACE FOR LIFE.

| The first Of June, 1S49l How strange
than fiction it seems on this anniversary
of that eventful day, after traversing al
the vicissitudes of experience, after box
ing the compass of life's stormy sea, anC
shaking hands with every extremity O
fortune, should be seated at last in thi,
quiet little sanctam, the hum of thai
mighty city, which was then the goal o.
all our hopes, around me; the wild free
dom of theillimitable prairies exchange
for the confines of dingy office; my
snorting charger discarded for this ole
arm chair; the badge of the pioneer laid
aside for more peaceful weapon, this
"gray goose quill" IaNi e.'
Ii was on this day, seven years ago.
Eighty.6ve Of us, weary wanderers over
the trackless prairies, were day after day
and month after month, toiling on to the
land of gold, whose lofty Sierras and
summer plains have since gathered to
their eternal embrace so many members
oc that gallant youthful band 1t was
Sunday in the wilderness, the wagons are
all "coralled" on the banks of the Little
Blue, the toil-worn mules scattered around,
'joyfully cropping the grass under the
watchful vigilance of the guard. Some
of the party were bathing in the clear
stream, some cooking, mending clothes,
washing, lounging, or smoking, and all en-
,joying to the full glorious sunshine day
of rest and Incidence, when some evil
genius possessed me with sudden desire
to be the first of the party to slay the
long-expected buffalo, an animal we had
not yet encountered, but which now be-
gan to be the constant theme of CONVEX
sation and conjecture. Several Of the
boys were hunting turkeysin the margin
of the timber, which skirtod on the river,
SO that when / saddled up my steed, and
with rifle at my saddle-bow, started out
to the northward, the few who observed
my departure exchanged sly winks at my
probabledisappointment, butnever dream
ed of the thrilling adventure that l was
so rashly rushing into.
Although we knewthat we were about
the confines of the Pawnee territories,
and had indeed been warned bya convoy
of trappers, whom we had met but few
days previous, returning from their dis
tant wintering ground in the mountains,
that war parties were out, yet, confident
in our numbers, and the entire inability
of our Impractical eyes to detect any
traces of them, we had attributed the
well-meant warning of the old mountain
GERS rather to q spirit of news mongering
than anything else, and rather despised
those wild Bedouins of the prairie, of
whom we heard so much, but had as yet
failed to see.
Far away over the beautiful, undulat-
ing and vernal bosom of the trackless
prairies, 1 rode gently, on the qw cice for
any indications of the object of my de-
sires; but though eagerly scanned the
horizon as l proceeded, not living thing
met my eyes except a few antelopes,
whose wary caution and quick perception
rendered them impossible Of approach
upon the open prairies.
AS far as the vision could reach, nought
but monotonously undulating surface Of
gently-swelling and naked hills, covered
only by the buffalo grass and flowers of
every hue, extended in every direction
towards the fair horizon, when the blue
sky of summer kissed the distant hills,
glowing in the fresh verdure of the ad-
vancing season.
Struck with the voiceless solitude Of
this untrodden desert, / rode slowly along,
lazily musing on the strange vicissitudes
which so suddenly translated me from
college halls to this wild scene, and had
almost imperceptibly placed some seven
or eight miles between me and camp,
when, far in the distance, directly in front
of me, / discerned a column of dust,
which, as supposed, betokened the long
desired buffalo. Away went romance and
reflection. The ardor of the hunter took
possession of me, and hastily loosening
my pistols and glancing at my rifles lock,
/ struck spurs to my stced and galloped
forward, never doubling that the oppor-
tunity SO ar6cntly coveted was now at
hand.
Charging down the hill and across the
intervening valley, rose another gently
swelling roll of the prairie, and as gain
ed the summit, again the moving cloud
of dust met my gaze, and this time con-
siderably nearer, and, as l closely regard-
ed it, perceived that it was rapidly ap-
preaching, and l began to discern the
flashing Of bright objects cleaning from
out its obscurity. This looked less like
buffalo. AS the object, whatever it might
be, continued to approach, / halted for a
better view, and was not long in making
out band Of mounted Indians, their
snow-white shields and FURNISHED lance
heads glancing brightly in the morning
sun.
Still, however, scarce thought OF
Pawnees, but supposed it might be some
hunting PARTY Of friendly Pottawattamies
or Sioux and, at all events, knowing the
mettle and power Of my horse, and having
a retreat at pleasure, / thought i incurred
no great risk by waiting for more sat.
isfactory inspection. Gradually across
the broad expanse of the prairie, they
drew nearer and nearer, now disappear.
ing from view in crossing some concealed
hollow, and again displaying in bold re.
lief against the sky as they surmounted
some prominent ridge. ,sI = =. :.