Louisiana capitolian., 1880-06-26
AN ARRAPAHOE HUNT
REDUCING A BIG HERD OF BUFFALO
TOA SKELETON.

NEDUCANN a bk0 hENO OE BUnALU
TO A SKELETON.
An army omosr in tho Baltimore Amer.
icsn. While Ihsvs been endsayoring
vsinly perhaps, 70 convey to you soms
idss Of the appearance ofthe Arrspshoeu,
tho hunting psrty has made rapid pro.
gress and ono ofthe young warriors, now
far in tho lead waving bio blanket In 1
peculiar manner, makes known to the
hunters that tho herd 10 near BY, sud
that taking . certain course will bring
US to windwsrd Of them. Az the distance
between tho hunters aud the herd grows
less the bucks divest themselves Of oil
their clothing save tho brsscholout, and
the superluous garments arc handed to
their squaws for safe-keeping, together
with the ponies they have been riding,
Is they now mount tho fresh animals
their better halves bring up to them.
The old buffalo bull, acting ~ outmost
guard, has heard q sound he cannot
explain; he turns to warn tho unsuspec-
ting herd Of his not altogether ground
less fear, when the whole party Of
Indians, like one man, give the ponies
their head and sweep down upon tho
grazing herd. But not grazing now ! for,
a. If by magic, the whole herd become
aware Of the danger, and with heads
low and tale erect they arc bounding
over tho level plain before them 1t .
much faster rate than their numbering
bodies would lead ono to suppose pos-
sible. Tho Indians, dsshing up on tho
Asnks ofths moving column, pour in
their deadly ffe. Not waiting to sse
tho result, they urge their ponies on,
still Aring) sometimes 10 near that tho
barrel Of tho rifle rests On tho buAslo)
~ fast y they can load till their ponies
pause from exhaustion and tho skeleton
herd is beyond reach Of their weapons.
While pursuers aud pursued have been
thus actively engaged the squsws have
not been Idle, for, as the hunt ceases.
you find them will, their pack animals
already on the field where the dead
butfaloes lie. The bucks. returning, ride
down along tho dead and dying and
point out to their squsws those they
have slain, and when the squaw has put
her own ipdividnaP mark upon them
then she begins her part of the hunt,
which is skinning, cutting up and pack.
ing. have seen five hundred buffaloes
killed in the above manner, and l have
never yet heard dispute arise owing
to buck having mistaken on animal
he had killed. II would seem as il the
dead care ass had "a tongue in every
wound that cried, "Pass me not by 5
you killed me- The squaws are natural
butchers. There is not q miss-cut made |
In removing the robe; nor is one particle
Of the animal left for the kiotes that can
be in any way utilized by these people. |
From the siDews lying along the back
one (from which the bow strings are |
made) to the horny hoofs (from which is !
dissolved kind Of gluten for the |
Of the robes) nothing is
No wonder it exssperates these
provident people to come upon tho car
casses of hundreds of thousands Of
buffalo, killed yearly by tho white hun
ters for the hides alone. Not even a |
tongue gone, or slice from the favorite |
hump taken. There they lie and rot. |
The food God had provided for them
feeding only the vultures aud kiotes, the |
bones standing as u monument to prog.
ressiye cilization and as o reminder that |
white men are not allowed in the |
territory.