New-York tribune., 1885-08-09
FEAR OR BUCK FEVER.
Two FRONTIER EXPERIENCES.
AFrER-pINNER TALES TOLD IN AN UPTOWN RES
TAURANT.

TWO FRONTIER EXPERIENCES.
AFTER-pINNER TALES TOLD IN AN UPTOWN RES
TAURANT.
GJps all very we'll to talk about rot knowing
what fear means; but tell you there few men who
hova nor at some time had sinking of tho heart and
tremling OF the limbs that fear and nothing else
ira easy enough have on the battleneu ana
in shpxrsck anybody but natural born coward "ouiu
haye for whatever danger there Ia comes IN te natra
order of .hincs and has been discounted IL is the
sudden consciousness peril presented TO the mind at
moment 0 apparent security that tests 'nc oou' W
q mans nerves."
The speaker was Of group OF four. surrounding
table at An restaurant The dinner dishes had
been removed and the deliberaon with which the men
sipped their and pulled their cigars gave evidence
of their determination not to impair digestion by unaue
exertion for some time to come.
II was mere than twenty years ago." he continued,
that passed n winter In Minnesota very different
ace then from what Is The business that took
neithcre occupied little my time and spent most OF
nv leisure hunting the various kinds OF game that
aboundci In Mcleod County. where 1 mado my mead
quarters. I sometimes alone, sometimes Win
friend whom found In Glencoe and not nfrequently
with hand of trappers who made at home In their
camp or with tribe of Sioux Indians who then travelled
all over that country In search OF game
aOne ay was oat with my Glencoe friend after deer.
There was a light on the ground an aiter whhc
we tracked two into OF those dense thicket
which were found the lower grounds OF the rolling
prairie These thckcts extended often from lake 10
lake and varied In width from few rods to perhaps
quarter OF mile We were well acquainted with the ono
that we were In for a space Of mile or two from the
point at which entered IT, and we knew that 1t was
nearly uniform in width.
we a,certained the direction which tho deor took
and folio wod ouI plan being keep the or the east
side and the other on west just far in the hcket
.t.ot fbo rfar od
our way through prckly pear and other lovgrowinc
shrubs at uniform rate OF speed, and believed that one
OF the deer would easily fall victim 10 or the other
OF u.s. We had hunted In this way several times before
with variable Waiting sufficient time for nv
friend to get into position, began to pick my path
through the thcket, with my ears ready to eaten the
slightest sound and my peerng In all directions
Progress was slow and after hour as-cd without
any sign the game after Rabbits, squirrels and
parridses there were In abundance and occasionally
prairie chicken and at any other time would have had
excellent sport; but had not then shot many deer In
fact had very recently got the buck fever 70 "A to
be able 10 shoot oncand the possibility Of the nober
game was not to be sacrificed for meaner certainty.
So on I pioddsd, when heard twia snap at some
distance TO y right and Just ahead paused and again
heard sound that Mt once recognized as that OF deer
walking slowly along grazing the twigs as II went
could not he mistaken. I had heard the sane sound
before Cooking my r1e-a hair trigeer-I stood still
some two feet in height. by stepIcd upon It, with
my rife at my shoulder and my nnger the trigger and
peered sharply into the bushes. saw-no n deer. but
the long barrel Of rife not ten PAGES distant and
inting directly at my eye that seemed almost TO
recognized the face OF friend. toward which my own
gun was pointing with deadly aim MY mind took IN tho
situation with lightning rapidlty. and In the smallest
fraction Of second from the time stepped the
ant h deed think e before @ r e % ~" "ot sar aS ri 1
shout OF warning. my gun going Oh In the air as it
Snahes Sna 'ne on S' Inc with whete my head had ecn
"Well. you may call II scare OF by some other name
onI n hopr wa b1 G was likely enough only meae or two ard
when stood up trembed that had 10 hold on tn
se bnt 60, 70 answer Then thought had shot bIm and
pretty near dropping again Finally managed to
dead faint from which had hard work to revive him.
When be got talk hc said that he bad rccogni ed
he had zen a deer and had been In such
perfect OF readiness to receive such that his
knowing as he did 50 that he was aiming at me.
STRONG rough. old frontiersman he was. never
snowy ground long time before either of could
T ss 70 g 80 ons nk 20 a6 that
lyon 81 ohe OF buck fc, cr'" asked OF u party
what sort of a fever IL that ."
you have shot at deer other large game
where deer abound that no man killed be first
he aimed at no matter how accurate marksnan he
game. There Is sort of temor that comes over tie
limbs when deer within the OF his rife
for the time, that makes II Impossible 10 kill IT, The
frst deer at noble buck and he just
enough OF creditable sh II at PARTRIDGE
but didn't hit him 49,
"Well" continued the other. you were talking about
fear: but don't see "a you've made point Perhaps
II was only another kind of buck fever that you and
your lack woods friend had when you found yourselves
poppng 1T each other with rifles Can't yon give
;her example OF having been frightened by some
thing turning mp suddenly T.
@No," replied the other, laughing. III / wasn't
frightened that time don't believe but there
incident Of my winter on the frontier mat didn't
dare 10 tell there for fear wonld DC said that
afraid. started out with rifle alone pne morning.
after any game that could find The dead prairie grass
stood three feet high. and there had been light
feecy the night that had lodged on the grass
without bending II down; light that little wind
distance from the village I broad trail leading
prairie and followed It, The trail was so broad
that thought must have been made by large herd OF
dcer and was In high spirits followed for miles until
the trail entered tbicket into which cautiously
followed hoping that here the animals had stopped TO
rest, A few mo mcnts brought nearly to the
side where could see the open prairie beyond:
but trail. moved more slowly and cautiously. and
soon saw Just at the edge OF the thicket, six
wolves, snarlng and quaTeDg over something they
had caught Hooked only moment; there was no tree
big enough for 10 climb. and my gun bad only single
barrel and muzzlcoader. had been my highest
ambition TO shoot gray wof but rcfrainfd on this The
only opportunity that ever had wasn't frfghtened
but then didn't want 10 be. So turned about and
rapidly and selessy as possible retaced my foot
toward me, and this all that saved me- for II was
hard winter and wolves were hungry"
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NEW USE FOR ELE0TRICITY.
"What il this Z" asked broker, as he saun-