The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1881-01-14
A ROY,S ADVENTURE WITH BUF.
FALOES.
A True Story.

4 BOYS ADVENTURE VIII DUE
FALOES.
A True Story.
WILL CROKER, whose adventure
among drove of buffaloes 1 am about to
relate. was a Young herdsmanO of the Lone
Star State, and was, / regret to say, as
wild and uneducated a boy as could De
found in that far from classical region.
& But, though Will was uneducated. ne
was clever-witted. He was not the kind
of boy who, as the French say. "would
tie q hungry dog to tree with string /
of sausages;" and, if he was ignorant of
mathematics and geography. he was
we'll informed on all matters relating to
his fathers calling. He could manage
a horse as well as the best ma1 on the |
ranch, and was fair rifie-snOt and
good drover.
But Will had one great defect. He
was extremely obstinate, and his father
had not enough force of character to
check the fault. So, at seventeen years
of aoe, Will was of such self-willed
disposition that to advise him in one d.
rection was almost sure to make him
take the opposite course.
On one occasion this Obstinacy
brought Will into trouble which nearly
proved fatal.
The droyers had got back from San
Antonio, whittier they had driven their
herds, and were going on grand buf-
falo hunt There were six OF them
IS Old man Crocker,' as Wills father
was called, to distinguish him from his
son, Frenchman named Henry Lee
clerc, Dutchman, nicknamed
Dutch" two Mexican UGqNer0s, and
last, but by no means least. our friend
Will.
it is impossible to hunt buffaloes on q
horse unused to the business. But the
following morning, as the hunters were
about to start, Will appeared among
them, mounted on powerful black
horse called Bonanza, which reared and
| plunged in manner that would have
unseated less practiced horseman.
..Hellor' said Croker. "What re
YOU dom on that horseP' ..
"Going buffalo-hunting, OF course"
replied his son, as the animal he be-
strobe stood up on its hind legs. threat
ening to fall over backward, and vigor-
ously gesticulated with his fore feet.
you can't hunt buffalo on that
horse!' said his father. $50 back and
get another; and be quick. We're go
ing to start right away" :. ,
s'Start as soon as you please" replied
Young Obstinacy. "But I'll be the
first man past"
His remarks were cut short by Bo-
nanza suddenly reversing himself and
standing on his front feet, causing his
enterprising rider to slide forward upon
his neck. Dutch, seeing this, spoke up.
"You can't 60 to buffalo up NIT dat
horser'
"You fellows attend to your own
affairs" remarked Will. disrespectfully.
"and I'll attend to the horse. He's
the fastest beast here, and I'm just
about smart enough to put him along
side a buffalo, whether he wants to 60
or not"
"It makes me noding odds if you r.
hunt on steam-engine," observed
Dutch.
Remember what we're telling you
said Croker, "when we strike buffalo
and that critter runs away"
"The horse doesn't live that can rur
away with me" replied Will. confident
". and the little cavalcade cantered OF
briskly toward the buffalo-pastures o
the southwest.
It was beautiful morning, peculiar
to the Texan climate. The rising SUI
gilded the fiower-decked plain, ant
from the tall grasses rose flocks OF gay
feathered birds; while the balmy air o
!. early fall blew, fresh and invigorating
, into the faces of the horsemen: Will
spirits raised by that sense of exhilera
ton which comes of rapid motion, tn
, riders shouted and sang, as their pow
, erful horses, with equal animation, Dor
, them swiftly onward.
The second afternoon out buffalo
, herd was discovered feeding far to tn
, south, resembling flock of black shee
, in the distance.
= A halt was at once called and preps
ration made for descent upon tn
> game in the morning. The horses wei
. tethered by long raw-hides. and tn
y men proceeded to put their guns an
- ammunition in order. The next morI
;, inc dawned fresh and clear. The buf'
- loes were still in sight. though farth'
y away; and, as the wind blew from til
. hunters toward the herd. a long deto,
- was made, in order to approach the
- from the opposite side.
= At length, the hunters dashed amor
y them and commenced the work OF d
. struction. Wills horse, the unreliab
11 Bonanza, behaved well while among ,
companions; but no sooner did tn
:" scatter than he became unmanageabl
~ and his rider heartily wished he hi
' 'e taken his fathers advice in relation
" the animal, as he found he was gol
- to be left out of the sport.
10 There were no breech-lOading GU
10 in the party. and it would astonish
y, crack sportsman-with his repeatll
y, Winchester and ready loaded shells
~ q convenient beit-to see horsem
'Ss charge muzzle-loader from the sadd
The report of the hunters riff
IL gradually diffused uneasiness amo
nj the buffaloes, which numbered t.
,r thousand or more, and they began
. move, followed by the relentless hor'
in. men.
'ns In their course they again approach
AnA &vSn