The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-05-27
LIFE ON THE WESTERN PLAINS.
BY RICHARD G. TALBOT.


tiful, and even geese and ducks take
refuge in the woods from the fierce
winds and terrible cold. The days adj
ventures result in the destruction of two
elk, three deer, and turkeys, ducks,
chickens, and quail in prodigious guam
tity. The birds, with the exception of
the priarie chickens, are used for camp
food; the elk and deer are dressed and
prepared for transit, and packed in the
wagon, with the chickens, unplucked,
tied in punches of half-dozens, ready for
market
We take our supper of turkey, grail,
and ducks, cooked with potatoes, from
large kettle on the fire, and halves of
chickens, turkeys, and quails, roasted
brown on the Goals; and, after the usual
camp talk, and the recounting of the
incidents of the day, we fall asleep on
the ground, wrapped in numberless
blankets, etc. The snow still continues
to fall, or rather drive before the undi-
minished gale. and without it is fearful,
gloomy, cloudy, dark, without a star.
Some of our party, unaccustomed to the
common incidents of this kind of life,
are watchful and wakeful, while the rest
lie in deep, untroubled slumber. An
hour after midnight We are suddenly
aroused by terrible, unearthly din of
confused yelps and dismal howlings
from hundreds of hungry Threats. The
storm has ragged terribly for two weeks,
and now the wolves are furnishing for
their prey. Driven from their dens by
pinching hunger, and ernboldened by
association in formidable packs, they
are fearful to remember, terrible to en-
counter single-handed. At this lonely
hour, they approach our camp within
fifty yards in regular sorties, and make
the forest ring with their sharp, shrill
yelps, retiring again in evident treplda
ton. In the lull of the storm we can
hear their terrible conflicts, apparently
joined in by scores and fifties, and their
swift feet beating the frozen snow, in
reconlterlng companies. 1t IS well that
the wolf is not possessed of more cour
age with his inexplicable instinct and
unnatural rapacity, for then he would
prove more than q match for man. Fifty
of these famished, bloodthirsty fiends
without, devouring each other, and
fighting over the spoils, would vastly
over-mateh our company of eight men;
and where would we be among three
hundreds AS it is, there is not courage
sufficient in the whole pack to bring
them within thirty yards of our wagon
loaded with m cat, and our camp sur
rounded vii b fal, for which they are
dying. They diminish their horrible
appetite by devouring themselves; a
single buffalo, steer, or horse, out among
the swapping, snarling throng, would
have no chance of life. A single man,
unarmed, and subject for moment to
trepida ton or alarm, would be quickly
destroyed. But the wolf of the prairies
is under no circumstances daring as
sailant. From the most tempting bait
that ever allured him, he may be re-
pulsed by the click of penknife, or the
glitter of piece of glass. The isolated
settler, hanging out his slaughtered
hogs TO cool in the winter night, has
only to lay on the ground near them the
cleaning axe, or the bright bladed knife
with which they were slain, and though
accompanied by thousand others, and
famlshed to the utmost extent of weak
ness, the prowling wolf keeps safe
distance; he takes no chances; ne runs
no risks. But still, though knowing his
cowardly nature, it is awful to lie, with
only piece of canvas between us and
listen to the horrid commotion of the
Infatuated throng in the momentary lull
of the beating storm. Involuntarily we
shudder with apprehension moving
further away from the thin partition.
Strange as 1t seems, none of the hardy
men with whom we are lying have
noticed the dreary turmoil without, as
their steady, long-drawn respirations
testify. For two long hours We lie and
listen to the-to us-novel and exciting
chariUari of the wolves who have scent
ed us for fifty miles around. But soon
the wolf howls gradually diminish on
10 md
ed. We were just about sinking into @
pleasant slumber, when we were again
awakened by most singular sensation,
as of the trembling of the ground around
us, increasing palpablY. We could hear
nothing at first, but were conscious that
some mighty power was in motion near
us. This, whatever it might be, we i'm
agined had drawn off the noisy wolves
What could it mean? More and more
distinct the impression appeared, and
we listened breathlessly-now amid the
soughings of the storm we caught a
steady murmuring sound that gradually
grew palpable to the ear, like the hum
OF busy hive of bees-the wary Indian,
steadily sleeping through all the noisy
clamOr of the wolves, started up, and
with the wild motion of the savage,
duciled his ear to the ground; another
old trapper awakened with spring and
listened for moment, and, at the same
instant that grunt of satisfaction came
from the Indian, he said, s'They are
coming-the buffalo" 1t was their
tramp that we had heard, and now We
heard them plainly, as crowding on, and
maddened by the storm, they came In
laundering squadrons, and with the
tread of strength in the direction of our
camp. The noisy hum gradually died
away with the swapping of underbrush,
as the head of the column reached the
shelter of the grove, the roar sunk into
n murmer, and all was still. We knew
that a mighty here of buffalo were our
neighbors. Now again the chorus OF
yelps and bowls resounded, as the
famished wolves again circled our camp
and demonstrated with regular sortie and
retire, or with fearful combats; but an
other hour brought the cold, gray light
of the winter morning, and they were
gone. Instantly our camp was i'll mo-
ton, our breakfast of roasted birds des-
patched, horses attended to, and with
but one exception, all were out with gun
in hand, to begin the exploits of the day.
The storm of snow-driving winds, cold
and depressing in the extreme, still
roared on, and swept with icy breath
the dismal plains around us; man or
beast could not now exist one hour out
of the shelter of the wood; we could not
see fifty yards around us, nothing but
snow in the trees, on the ground and
filling the air. We made our way, with
difficulty, down the creek, to discover
the herd of buffalo, which We knew
must be near. For these hardy dwellers
of the plains, our hunters had waited,
and row they We're here. The banks of
the scream, not hundred yards below