Richland beacon., 1880-08-14

n Thrilling Incident on the Protstes.
What is that?
Look closer, and you will see that it
is gaunt, grim wolf, creeping out of
the little grove Of cOttonwoods toward
buffalo calf gamboling around its mother.
Raise your eyes little more, and you
will see that the prairie around is alive
with buffalo. Count them You might
as well try to count the leaves on giant
msplei They are moving foot by foot
Is they crop the juicy grass, and living
waves rise and fall as the herd slowly
sweeps on. Afar out to the right and
left-mere specks on the plain-are the
Aankes-brave old buffaloes, which
catch bite of grass and then sniff the
air and scan the horizon for intimation
Of danger. They are the sentinels of
the herd, and right well can they be
trusted.
The wolf creeps nearer!
All the afternoon the great herd has
fed IN peace, and, as it now slowly moves
toward the distant river, it is all uncon-
scious that danger is near. Look You
well and watch the wolf, for you are 60
ing to see such sight as not one man in
10000 has ever beheld.
.Oreep-crawl-skulk-now Dehind
knoll-now drawing himself over the
grass-now raising its head above a
thistle to mark the locality of its victim.
II . low, shambling, skulking wolf,
lame and spiteful and treacherous.
Wounded OF ailing, he has been left to
get ON Is best he may, and his green
eyes light up with fercer blaze as he
draws nearer to his unconscious prey.
There No, he is yet too far away.
Cseep-creep-creep! Now he is
twenty feet away-now fifteen, now ten.
He hugs the earth, gathers his feet
under him, and he bounds through the
air - If shot from gun. He is rolling
the calf over and over on the grass in
three seconds after he springs.
Now watch
A cry Of pain from the calf-a furious
pellow from the mother as she wheels
and charges the wolf-a startled move
ment from . dozen of the nearest ami
mails, and rush begins. The one wolf
i magnifed into o hundred, the hun
dred into thousand. Short, sharp bel
lows-notes of alarm-a rush, and in
hfty seconds after the wolf has wet his
fangs with blood that living mass is in
motion to get away from an unknown
toyror.
The waves rise higher and higher as
tho confusion spreads. One instant it
sesms q if 10000 solid acres of prairie
w9s moving bodily away-again waves
Iisa and fAl1 a. the towards behind rush
upon those in front who wait to sniff the
aiy knd learn the danger. In one min
ute the alarm runs down the herd to the
lsadsrs, further than the eye can see,
and the entire herd is going Of at mad
gallop, heads down, eyes rolling, and no
thoaght but that Of escape. II Lake
Erie were to dash itself against q wall
thsGhoek would be no greater than the
awiul crash with which this mass of rat
the hoofs, sharp horns and hairy
bodies would meet it The clatter Of
hoofs and rattle Of horns would drown
ths noise At . brigade Of cavalry gal
lcpin9 over . stone-paved road.
BID out On their trail. Here where
~ stampede began the ground il torn
sud furrowed - II . thousand cannon
hsd BEEN firing solid shot 1t targets.
Hoe and there are calves which have
been gueed o. crushed-here and there
aldee animals With broken leu and disa-
hline voundA Here, where the herd
~ 'fairly o6, You might - we'll hunt
sor . aold dollar - blade Of grass.
-. look fsr three miles - you look
er,aes T. II = . trail of dirt and dust.
i. - ruis md fu1rows, where hah an
- y ! aro vss . carpet Of green grass
81 snning AowerA The most dread.
All cynlone known to man could moi
h.,>kh nore horrible scars behind.
liles sway, On the bank OF winding.
.rovaiug yiver, are three white-tPped
su;S = wagons. A camp blase.
g
,,sS,ason ~ kettle-men, women and
,h;Lrsn Sand about, peering over the
,.tsing s.n at the distant mountains and