Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1864-07-12
A BuHalo Hunt

AN Ioaho emigrant, who left this city
last April, in letter to one of our citizens
give the following account of his first buf-
talo hunt after reaching the plains:
Dear G.: / can think of nothing
.net would interest you more than the
history q recent days hunt.
Early 10 the morning D. and my,elf
LETT the company to hunt buffaIoes. moont
ed on two OF orr best horses, The dav
was very warm and We rode until ts1
O'clock when We came to river. and unon
examining our map found that il was
Wood River, and was ten miles CT the
road.
Here We dismOunted and quepched our
thirst-and pleassnter water Tnever drank
We sat on the bank some time. resting
our horses and watching fock of Antelope
that were quietly grazing near by. Not
wanting to kill antelope that day we did
not disturb them. 1t was buffalo We were
after that day and nothing else
After resting sufficiently we mounted
our horses and started up the river. We
Dad not Travelled far when we came upon
large buffalo that not been killed great
while. which gaze us encouragement. But
We rode on about ten miles farther without
seeing fresher signs. On consulting our.
gu'de'book We found We were nearing the
road.
By this time We were almost fami,hed
Ioi something to eat and drink. But with
spirits clear down. shout four O'Clock in
tns afternoon, What should greet our eyes
on rising bill bot O drove of buffalo
grasing leisurely along. They we're about
bali mile distant and had not discover.
~ L..
rest.
During this time the bufslo started
across 70 the Platte for water. This pleas
60 US for We knew that We would have
them on the Platte Valley, level piece of
land abOnt three miles wide. When they
reached the valley, We mounted our horses
and started after them on a walk. They
soon discovered rs aud turned aDd broke
TOR the bills. We put spur to our horses
to get between them and The bills and nv
horse being the best ruL ner .distsnced nv
oomrade and got ahead of them fret. But
tney did not change their course and came
charging right at me- And q more vicious
set OF looking williams never saw, With
long shaggy beads. was not in q very
safe place and D. thought was gone
np' sure. But i was not frightened and
wnen tney came near enough fred both
ostreis OF my trusty rife anthem, wound
ing one OF them severely. This made an
opening In their ranks end they passed on
saeh eide OF me. l undertook 20 draw nv
revolver bet my horse Wasso scared III at
could not. Meantime D. shot and
wounded one, and then rode alang side Of
another and fred at it with his revolver.
We pursued them but seeing that wounded
ones would not 60 far We slackened our
pace. After running some distance farther
the one i had wounded laid down. We
loaded our rifles again and D. got
down the gulch where the buffalo had dis.
appeared and went around to get ahead
OF him. D. soon discovered him and
nred at him with both barrels of bis rife
he catne laundering past me and fred at
him but it only seemed to accelerate bis
speed and be soon fed out of our sight
We went 10 search Of our game aud enter.
ing deep gulch with high banks we had
not went far before I, being 10 the lead
at the time. unexpected espied a few PAGES
from 3e rushing from some tushss, the
buffalo. bis mouth fosming with madness
bis eyes red with pain and his sharo horns
pointed at the breast of ny horse. Quick
80 thought my horse turned on his hind
leet anu lehped ABOUT hfteen feet out of
the gulch. The buffalo icing so badly
wounded did not follow US any further
than the top of the baak but went bsck in.
to the gulch again. where he faced us and
paved the ground and threatened lust as
you have seen bulls when about to fight
As soon as | could get my hois. to stand l
sent ball though him But be stood ite-e
untll We shot him nine times before he
fell.
90 going to him we found that we lad
hit him twelve times. He was a very large
bull. weighing at least fifteen hundred
pounds. We took from one I'oF bis hind
quarters about forty pounds Of %. foe steak
as ever ate 10 Illinois.
The sun BY this time was one hour high
and We were fifteen miles from camp. We
took our meat and started We failed 20
reach our camp but fell 10 With q conopany.
Of nine wagons from Illinois, who supplied
Us with everything we needed for the
night.
The next morning we reached our camp
just as they were starting to look after
Us, supposing tibet We bad been killed by
the Indians. And thus ended my first
buffalo hunt.