The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-04
BARNUM ON BUFFALO HUNTING


wbu vent to Fort Hays, Kansas, under the |
an ices Of the National Land Company, for |
o. purpose of purchasing lands and enjoying |
a buffalo hunt, have returned in safety. They |
report having made delightful trip. The
party represented some So, 200, 600. Some |
members of it invested $40, 900 in cattle |
raising and herding on the plains of Kansas |
and Colorado, while others expended larger |
sum for land in both of these localities. Mr. |
Barnum contributes to the Bridgeport Stan |
ddrd an interesting account of his trip from |
which we make few extracts:-
cat five o'clock next morning the tents |
were struck, and we were moving rapidly in
our ambulances towards the Solomon river,
attended by the large cavalcade of soldiers,
outriders and the led cavalry horses, saddled,
equipped, and set apart for the use of our
party in the coming chase. We constantly
passed fresh buffalo carcasses and chips,
thus indicating that the huge game which we
had travelled eighteen hundred miles to en-
counter was near at hand. Presently we saw
three buffaloes quietly grazing some two
miles away to our right, but the scouts bore
more to the left, as they felt confident of
finding buffalo in large numbers in ravine
several miles north of us. We had, however,
already travelled nearly twenty miles that
morning, when our chief scout was discovered
returning towards us on his high-mettled
charger at full speed He gave us the signal
to halt. We obeyed orders, and in double
quick time we were all on our feet. The
scout, in almost a whisper, announced that
about
FIFTY BUFFALoEs
were just over the edge of the ravine, half a
mile north of US, and that doubtless there
were hundreds more q little further west.
The blood tingled our finger ends, and seve-
raj flushed faces indicated that their owners
were in a glow of excitement. But,not so
the military. Coolly and systematically, under
L., l,,k oko11f 1f,,1 &c Ia u.Io
the soldiers went to their duty with a regu-
larity that previous discipline only could have
secured. Some led forward our horses while
others brought us carbines and army re-
volvers.
''Rapdly divesting ourselves of all super
fuous clothing, and, fastening on our belts
| which held the revolvers, we mounted.
''When we were all ready the good-natured
Major, in few kind words, assured us that
the buffaloes, instead of being, as we had
! heard at the East, docile as COWS, were very
wild and shy, and having been hunted so
much in that particular quarter, they were
somewhat desperate.
Fortunately he added, they are at the
| windward of us, hence with due caution you
can approach them all the nearer, but when
they once discover you they will show rate
! of speed which will tax our fleetest horses to
the utmost.
1.-The Major cautioned us to be calm-to
aim for the spine or heart, and to give our
horses rein and spur the moment we had
fired, lest the desperate enemy, receiving only
a slight wound, might attack us.
Our soldiers will not fire unless they see
you are in immediate danger, for we wish you
to have all the sport and all the honors to
yourselves furthermore, gentleman, con-
tinued Major Hale, impressively, remember
you are on boundless plain, and if, by mis-
chance, one of you should lose sight of all
1~o ;1,o
mid ocean, without chart or compass. A man
not long since was lost during the excitement
of hunt near this spot, and at the end of
three weeks was found in Texas, weak, ema-
ciated, and nearly dead with hunger and
exposure. He had slain his horse and eaten
it raw so long as it was endurable. l shall,
therefore, added the Major, detail soldier
to accompany each of you as guard and guide,
but l admonish you not to let the excitement
which you are all sure soon to experience g
lead you out of his sight.
'We bowed respectfully to the Maj jor's ad-
monitions, and quietly walked our horses
some forty rods to the brow of the ravine,
when we discovered some fifty or sixty i'm
mense bull buffaloes feeding on the slope
within quarter of mile of us, quite uncon-
scious of our presence. Never can we forget
that novel and thrillingly exciting scene.
These mighty monarchs of the prairie scat
tered around within q radius of half a mile
formed picture so grand and 30 unique that
we held our breath with admiration, perhaps
not unmixed with feeling of awe.
"'Now FOR THEM, GENTLEMEN
exclaimed Major Hale and every man put
spurs to his experienced hunter, and we ap-
peared to fly on the wings of the wind; some
of our party lost their caps, and in their wild
excitement they did not miss them, but rode
. heedlessly on. Presently a huge buffalo
raised his head and took to his heels like a
frightened deer. The alarm instantly spread,
and the whole herd were in full flight. 1t is
really wonderful to witness the extraordinary
agility with which these huge creatures can
, scamper over the plains.
''We all gave triumphant yell, and plung-
| ing our spurs into the horses sides the full
, length of the rowels, we soon began to gain
| on the noble bovines. But we rode nearly
, half mile before the sharp crack of car
bine announced that we were within firing
distance. The first shot simply served to
arrest the attention of a huge buffalo, three
= successive charges maddened him, and he
made few hasty steps towards one of oul
) riders, but a well-aimed ball hit his spine and
he fell to. his knees and soon toppled over.
meanwhile the herd scattered in every
l direction, and each man selecting his animal
gave chase to him. The excitement was tre
3 mendous. Some of our party were soon oui
8 of sight of the others, and doubtless within
t twenty minutes some of us were six or eight
D miles apart. Firing was frequently heard al
nearly all points
( about half an hour after the first attack
: Major Hale rode up to me and asked wha
Q success had met with.
3 9" Il have killed one enormous bull ant