Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-11-12
NO34.

hag9ation of a dozen distant cities
Hour after hour our little coterie sat
together watching this wonderful phe-
nomenon of the prairies, which charm
ed away all desire for sleep, and pres
eRted with each change of scene a
spectacle apparently more beautiful
and striking than any which preceded
it. As the train sped along we had
one splendid succession Of natures
own pyrotechnics, grander than any
ever devised By human skll. Some
times the flames we're so close as to
leap almost up to the car windows,
and at others so distant as to look like
beads of motion gold trinkling out of
the ebony blaekness of the burned
prairie.
So, until fatigue had sent us all to
rest, and know not how much long
er, continued this grand, ever-chang-
ing panorama of the night. Daylight
found US approaching Fort Hays, a
military post on the frontier, and
brought new and very different sur
roundings. On every hand now was
the open plain stretching to the sky
like the broad expanse of ocean, and
excepting the short, crisp buffalo grass
almost entirely devoid Of vegetation.
II was the beginning of the 'Great
American Desert" the wild, treeless
and almost waterless plains of West
ern Kansas. A crimson light against
the eastern heavens harbingersd the
coming sun, and its broad red disc ap-
pearing above the smoky rift, crowned
with its morning aureOla, presented a
picture stTikingly similar to that de-
scribed Ia Fitz James O'Brien's beau
tiful stanZa
The red moon, like golden grape,
Hangs slowly ripening in the sky,
While o'er the helmets of the hills
Like plumes the summer hghtnings fly.
A few minutes after sunrise the
train halted at Fort Hays, where feet
footed anticipation had pictured a
splendid buffalo hunt on the prairies.
OF course the military at the post
were to provide the horses and escort,
and il was taken for granted that they
would. Mr.. Ryan, the commander-iu-
chief of the excursion, had commits
stoned another party to make the
needful arrangements, and that party
had, singularly, neglected to execute
the trust. Accordingly, we found
ourselves at Fort Hays (in fact right
in the buffalo reRiOn) debarred, and
no horses or other equipments for the
hunt, to be had. The cOmmandant of
the post had not been consulted, and
had made no preparations for the ex-
eursiOn. His horses we're all too tired
to go, or else employed ID sending
supplies to the Indian country for the
benefit of the turbulent Cheyennes,
who would be upon the War-path in
stantly if not made happy IN the pos
session of their annual stipend of
gewgaws and trinkets. So the hunt
was spoiled, and the train resumed its
forward movement, the excursionists
trusting to luck for their expected
sport. At every station there were
reports of buffalo few miles away
but none could be seen from the cars.
Very often some sanguine individual
was sure be saw something red NOV
ing, but a glimpse through a glass
soon revealed the fact that what he
saw was nothing but tuft Of prairie
grass apparently flying past like ev-
cry other prominent object, In rapid
march for St. Louis. But everybody
was prepared for shooting, and tele-
graph poles were not attractive game.
There was something else to shoot at,
fortunately, for thousands of prairie
dogs had established their villages
close beside the railway track, and
sat watching the passing train with
provoking bOldness and curiosity.
The firing on these nimble creatures
was continuous, but not effective, and
very seldom, if at all, was one of them
killed or wounded. But there was
rare sport in seeing them scamper for
their holes and make twinkling aud
saucy disappearance.
In the afternoon droves of ante
lope were distantly seen, scampering
nimbly over the plain, and the cry of
wolf occasionally created a sensa-
ton. Arrived at the station of Coy
ote, buffalo hunter, who had Just
come in, reported immense herds of
those animals in the valley of Saline,
only three or four miles distant, and
exhibited some splendid buffalo hams,
just brought in, to attest the truthful
| ness of his statements. This set an
amateur hunters agog, and determined
them to have hunt, or at least a re-
eonnoisance, at all hazards. The train
was run to switch four miles farther
Oh, and there halted an hour to give
| the coveted opportunity. A large
crowd equipped with all sorts Of
weapons from a Spencer rife to a pop
gun revolver, Immediately struck out
upon the prairie. Only a few, how
ever, went far, and those were not uu
rcWared for their persistence. After
crossing one Cf the elevations of the
plain, there. in a ravine below, appear
ed three dark objects blotting the gray
surface of the prairie. A nearer ap-
prOach developed the fact that they
were buffalos reclining. The wind
was blowing directly towards them
and they soon scented the approach OF
strangers. Rising. they stood for g
moment with their great shaggy heads
aloft, three magnificent buffalo bulls
very monarehs Of the herd. They
" ere out of effective range, but that
was no matter to the skillful hunters
who we're evidently confident that the
| only thing necessary to bring the ami.
mails within range Of their weapons
was TO fire at them as often as possible
Away scampered the buffaloes up the
next ridge with a dozen or so of MIN.
rods in feeble pursuit. Occasionally
the animals-that is the buffaloes-
stopped aud took a leasurely view ia
the rear, and then went off again at s
moderate galIop. Finally, the valley
of the Saline appeared IN the distance
half shrouded in smoke from thC
burDinp prairie. and dotted with hun,
dreds of buffaloes. 1t was a grand
sight, fully cnmpensating for the -four
miles run over the parched prairie
The three bulls made for the mair
herd, Of which they were apparently
the pickets, and just al that time
Kingdom for a horse" would havl
been considered a bargain by any on
tf the half dozen pursuers. Regret
fully the latter turned back from tn
chase 10 rejoin the train, to Whiol
they were vigorously summoned b.
the impatient whistling Of the locomo
tive.
Later in the afternoon small herd
of buffaloes were seen from the cars
and droVes of antelope were no un
, frequent occurrence,
The excursion arrived at Sheridan
at z p. NJ. and scattered itself fprOmis
ouously over that lively cntrepOt TO
gamblers, desperadoes and adventuT