The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-05-27

hunters seeing that the Du11alOS were
fixed to remain as they We're, did not
modest them by going down the stream
in search of game, but all went in the
opposite direction. Each distinct hunt
ing party took with them a horse, har
messed, with a swingle tree and long
rope hanging ON the names. These, at
the conclusion of the short days opera
tons, had dragged into camp, three fine,
female elk, one mammoth buck deer,
and two fine, fat does, with another
large quantity of turkeys, chickens, and
quail. The game must be attended to
at once, before it is too solidly frozen.
The hides of the elk and deer are whisk-
ed off in a few moments, and the car
cases are cut into pieces, ready for cur
ing and smoking, the prairie chickens
ted into bundles convenient to handle,
and all are packed together in the wagon.
Another days work is done; we have
been all day in a temperature, that,
through all our heavy clothing and fur
wrappings, strikes to the very vitals,
until often we were necessitated to the
most violent exercise for many minutes,
to restore the languid blood. Now
warmed by our campfire, our stiffered
limbs relaxed by the mildar atmosphere
never before known, that our luscious
supper of fat, Drowned turkey, and
delicate white quail Is dscussed-or
rather devoured. The quantity of rich,
fat meat that the human stomach de-
mands in this frigid atmosphere, is pro-
digious. When we started for our
western home, only few weeks since,
two of our company were hopelessly
suffering, one from pulmonary affection
of years standing, the other of aggravat-
ed dyspepsia. Now, in the prolonged
hardships of to-day, in which we have
both went step by step, without fatigue,
with the stalwart hunter, with brawny
limbs, and spirit Injured to toll and en-
durance, we are assured that we are APP
preaching once more the vigor of man
hood, almost dissipated in the counting
room and study Of sedentary hfe-the
life that is contantly using up the
strength and destroying the health of
thousands of our countrymen. If our
words might reach some sufferer, pining
in the familiar scenes of home, one day
elated with hope, the next depressed to
despair of recovery, we would say,
'Echange your base"-break loose from
the kindly restraints of family physician
and moherly nurse, and rough it some
where while. Pure air is better than
tonics, a thousand fold. The excite
ment, the new interest, whatever it may
be, that draws away the mind from its
morbid drift of dependency and gloom,
is worth as much as life The pale in
valid may know that he can stand ten
times as much rs he imagines. The
genial glow that in this latitude follows
his first experience of jolting along for
days In a rough wagon, and sleeping in
the open air, gives him from the first,
assurance of this; then he soon feels
that exhilerating thrill of life, akin to
the sensation of the aeronaut in the thin
air of q great elevation, then from
exercise of his faculties, he is sure to
progress, until, with appetite unpre-
cedented, and every faculty in vigorous
glow, he is man again, ready for any
thing-able for any undertaking
mind as animated and vigorous as his
vivitied body. For the sake of this for
tunate and wonderful change we choose
to go into deficiency and want, and even
into danger. But l digress. At our
campfire, the plans of the morrow are
arranged, the exploits of the day re-
counted, and we are ready to sleep.
But one of our party is engaged in
new enterprise. He cuts the fore quar-
tiers of one of the slaughtered elk into
pieces the size of a goose egg, in the
center of each piece, depositing small
Quantity of strychnlne plllng these
balls of meat INTO bag, he mounts his
horse, and, at hundred yards distance,
scatters them in every direction around
our camp. This bait is for our nightly
visitants, the wolves-whose hides, in
the market at the settlement, are worth
exactly two dollars and seventy five
cents each. Our herd Of buffalo still
stand their ground in the th1cket, and
our business with them thereafter to be
told necessitates a watch, not to guard
the buffalo, but to note the first change
of the weather, or lull in the storm that
will stampede them. So important is
the case, that it is thought advisable for
the watch to note every hour of the
night for the expected change. The
wolves surround us at midnight again,
IN augmented numbers, with more hide
GUS howlings, and encounters that make
the blood tingle in every vein. All
night the storm roars on, intermingled
with the hideous turmoil about us, and
at morning sensibly diniishes in force
and severity, and gives promise of
calm. Our substantial breakfast dis
posed of, all are out again with gun In
hand, on our way to tue buffalo covert.
This time We come prepared for bust
ness. The herd is now more shy of US,
and we approach cautiously, and with
out word; the wind now dying gradu-
ally away, the terrible cold abating.
We know that the hardy lord of the
plains viii quickly recover from his chill
ling stupor, and our opportunity will be
gone. The ring OF two rifles simultane-
ously discharged, tell us that the work
of slaughter has begun. The whole
drove, massed and packed together,
though wild with fright, go tearing down
the stream, making the saplings crack
beneath their weight. The lower end
OF the herd has not been disturbed, and
the frightened ones rush down upon
| these, and again we come upon the
whole body, with lowered heads, stand
the smaller animals, unable to endure
our steady approach, whisk madIy round
and plunge into the mass for safe po-
sition. One vicious-looking old bull,
with n1onstrous head, and sullen, wicked
eyes glowing under his heavy name,
arches his neck, as though anticipating
a charge. Throwing his head aloft, he
gives Us momenGary survey-terrible
to experience at close quarters. Again
the ring of steady rifles startles the
black and steaming mass, and leaping
upon each others backs, they crowd
farther down the stream. Again we
have ambushed them, and as each
marksman singles out the fat COW or
full-grown calf, the report of rifles is
followed by the trampling of brush, and
the roar of laundering feet, and soon
the whole drove is in motion, making a