River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1873-11-04


went II buffalo, pierced quite through
by the terrible conical bullet. 1t is
but the work of a moment to place an
other cartridge in the breech. loader.
Another and another poor brute sinks
down. The sound of the bullet, as it
strikes the tough hide, can be distinct
ly heard. They are falling fast, but
not sound of pain is uttered. The
hunters think the poor buffaloes do not
feel like other animals, because they
suffer silently. When the survivors
got scent of blood, they tore the ground
with their feet and dashed their sides
with their tails, while the hunter load
ed until his ammunition failed, and
twenty seven out of the thirty lay dead
or dying upon the bloody plain
The horses of Ike and his party were
well fed while it was yet dark and at
sunrise the hunt began. Several ma
ture animals were shot down for their
meat, the hunters dashing into the herd
and using their heavy revolvers. A
large calf of some three hundred
pounds weight, and perhaps eight or
ten months old, was noticed to hang
N0oih1 pChilAu hlit ntIus 1hG
lately gave chase, intent on capturing
1t unhurt. Spicy's superior speed
soon left the other hunters behind.
The calf showed signs of distress, and
often staggered and stumbled, and
once fell heavily. Ike thought it sick,
but he learned later that il was only
acting as all buffalo calves act when
puTsedjnst after drinking. IL soon
.cametoua stand, turned, erected its
sail, aud charged its pursuer. Three or
our times Spicy jumped entirely over
the calf. AT length, becoming used to
the encounter, the horse stood still and
received dot blow in the shoulder. At
the same moment Ike clutched its
shaggy topknot, slid to the ground,
caught hold he one hind and one fore
leg, and Z" OWNED I" the calf in
moment. Slipping of his horses bri-
die, he released strap from its fasten-
ing, and sitting upon the calf's body
tied its feet securely. There was great
rejoicing over the first capture, and the
wagon soon bundled it into camp.
The next morning il was decided to
try taking the calves with lariats.
Some of the party were herders, and
very skillful in throwing the rope, and
catching half-wild cattle. As for Ike,
he was more used to the gymnasium
than the cattle rancho. He had never
thrown a rope in his life but he soon
learned something of the theory, aud
went out with the rest. That day sew
eral calves were caught; but upon Ike
fell the hardest chase. 1t CHANGED that
he followed calf that had not been
drinking. In the rear of the herd,
two old buffaloes were observed to take
a calf between them in such manner
that they forced it to keep pace with
them, their shoulders pushing it for
ward; but as often as Ike tried to ''cut
it out by itself, a splendid bull, with
glossy, black fianks-the Adonis of the
herd-who acted as rear-guard, charg-
ed upon the horsemen with great cour
age and spirit,
The plains abound with the holes o
prairie.dogs, and should a careless
horse chance to prance into one of them
his rider would have dangerous fall
particularly if an enraged buffalo were
pursuing. But Spicy had been reared
upon the plains, aud. like all such
animals, and learned to avoid both the
thorns of the cactus and the dog holes.
He was looking for them all the time.
When the bull charged, he fled. When
his pursuer turned to rejoin the herd,
Spicy turned also, and followed of his
own accord. Seven times the old bison
drove the intruder away, and then Ike
shot him, | grieye to say. He lost his
life i'll protecting those unable to
protect themselves.
The pursuit now became more vigor-
Gus. The calf, though soon cut out,
showed no signs of giving up. He
dashed to the right and to the left. He
tnrned, and ran behind the horse. He
doubled upon his track. Twice he ran
under the horse, but always avoided
tho moose that was thrown with unskil.
full hands. Reaching narrow ravine,
he crossed and recrossed so often that
the heavy horse stood no chance, and
Ike dismounted. Sam Craftree now
appeared upon the edge of the ravine,
swinging his lariat in circles about his
head, then cast it swiftly from him. IL
was almost a matter OF course that the
moose closed about tine calf's short
horns but unfortunately, Sam lost
hold of the end of the larat. The calf
was now allowed TO stop, and it began
TO drink the shallow water in the revine.
While drinking, Ike crept up and got
hold OF the lariat. Finding its enemy
approaching hand over hand, it charged
desperately; but tremendous jerk
from Ike prevented harm 10 himself,
and the calf was "downed as the first
had been. In all, the hunters took
eleven calves. Ike caught six of these,
and tied five of them unaided
Next spring, Ike and his friends in
tend TO capture and send whole load
of buffalo calves East At that season,
when the calves are very young, the
hunter has only TO cut the calf of from
the herd and head IL off until its mother
is out OF sight, then turn and gallop TO
camp, and the little thing will follow
him, on anything else, as fast as its legs
will carry IL.
A few days ago we all rode over TO
see how the calves got along. We
found that one had died, but the rest
were quietly eating corn-stalks in a
yard, among horses and cows, pigs, and
hens. They were not wilder than the