Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-09-30

0OuS nerO was pointing III Iuc UlIeCtlOA
of our knoll and coming directly at us
like a thunder-cloud. No use to fly,
for there was no place to fly to. One
solid black mass was sweeping toward
us like whirlwind, and it became nee
essary for US to do something, and do
it quickly, too, or have the life
trampled out of us in few minutes.
'.Dismount!' l cried; ''sling the bride
over your arm, and when give the
word fire as rapidly as you cam
We both dismounted and, drawing our
four revolvers. opened fire on the solid
phalanx at long range. The great
drove of animals were plunging wildly
forward, with their heads down, al
most sweeping the ground, and conse-
quently did not see us. Our hope was
to attract their attention, and by so do
inc to brighten them and endeavor to
throw them out of their course. Had
they seen us in the first place they
would probably have halted or
turned their course to one side. AS it
happened, they kept madly on until
our bullets began to sting them, when
the leaders looked up and, seeing the
strange sight in front of them. actually
paused or attempted to do so; but it
was at their peril, for the foremost were
Immediately trampled beneath the feet
of the rushing, crushing multitude be-
hind. The pile of bodies was our sal
walton, for it served as an impeachment
to those in the rear, and together with
our rapid fire sort of stampeded the
whole outfit. The pile became higher
and higher as buffalo after buffalo
came rolling on to the heap, and this
blockade actually caused the tremen-
dous mass to split and divide, a moiety
going each side of it. The center had
been checked, but the wings were still
sweeping by at railroad speed. We
hurried down to the pile of carcasses
as being our safest point and stood
there watching the sea of animals
raging and tearing by like the pillows
of an angry sea. A hundred yards or
so further on the wings came together
again. and there we were, in the midst
of that living mass, safe and free from
harm.
1t was strange, remarkable sight
one which l never expect to see on
earth again. My head turned dizzy
with so much motion all about me, but
both myself and the orderly had sense
enough to blaze away necessarily di-
rectly in front of us, which had the eff
feet to throw the successive leaders in
still more confusion, and no doubt was
the means of saving us from being
tramplcd to death. After this tremen-
dous herd of bison, going at about
twelve miles an hour, had passed,
which consumed some forty minutes of
time, we found ourselves among the
scattered tail end of the herd. Here
was our chance. Quickly singing out
an animal l was soon dashing along
side of him and pumping cold lead
into his bosom from my revolver. My
pony. well trained to such sport, never
left his side until the poor brute stag
gered in his tracks. When he rolled
over on the prairie in the last throes of
death l singled out another big fellow
and was soon pouring leaden pills into
his shaggy hide also. l had dropped
an even dozen before my little Cayuse
or l became winded. Then looked
around for my orderly, but he was no
where to be seen. One old bull took no
less than twenty cartridges before he
yielded up the ghost, which compelled
me to reload both revolvers from
horseback while going at tearing
pace. The buffalo dies very hard.
Even though mortally wounded, an in
dividual unacquainted with its nature,
though never so good a marksman, is
much surprised not to see him fall at
once. One would suppose that shot
about the head or central part of the
body would prove fatal, but such is
not the case. To kill bison the bah
must either divide his spine or enter
his body behind the shoulder a few
inches above the brisket, this being the
only point through which the heart
or lungs can be reached. Even with
forty-tive ball through the most vital
part, l have known bull to run for
half a mile before falling, although
shot to the death.
l observed curious thing in con-
nection with that days hunt, and
something which believe is not gen.
orally known. l saw antelope mixed
promiscuously with the bison herd.
Until that time it had always been nv |
opinion that antelope, of all animals,
:" fere nature," herded by themselves,
but here was case where they were |
scattered all through the bison, and in
considerable numbers, too. All plains
men will agree that antelope are the !
most difficult of game animals to bag,
for the simple reason that it is hard |
matter to get within range of them.
Most of my antelope have been
dropped at five hundred and six hum
dred yards, and none less than three
hundred yards.
On this day found could approach
within pistol shot with the
greatest ease. Riding up close to one
he would make few jumps. and then
turn around and gaze at me in aston
Ishment, seemingly bewildered and
puzzled. To see how close it was pos
sible for me to approach rode up to
within fifty yards of fine buck and
gradually reduced the distance to
twenty-five yards, all the while on
horseback. There he stood gazing at
me and making jump now and then.