Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-09-30
A BUFFALO HUNT.
Narrow Escape from Death by a
Stampeded Herd.
"A Barricade of Dead Bodies Divides and
Stems Living TOrrent-The Story
Told by q Lieutenant of
the Army.

In the summer of 1879, while sta
toned at one of the frontier forts in
the Yellowstone valley, Spotted
Eagles band of hostiles, a fragment of
Sitting Bulls great camp, were
brought in as prisoners of war. Orders
were received to send them to Stand
ing Rock Agency, and it fell to my lot
to escort them across the country. My
detachment numbered thirty men,
mounted on Cayuse ponies and well
armed and equipped. The next morn
ing, with our prisoners under guard,
we struck out boldly across the coun-
try in the direction of Standing Rock.
1t took us sixteen days to make the
journey, which was full of interesting
incidents and adventures, for the coun-
try was wild and. SO to speak, unex-
plored region as yet, with hostile
Sioux and Cheyennes scattered all
through it. The plains of Montana
were pretty full of buffalo at the time
write, and it is of an adventure with
them l am going to speak.
About the third day out we were in
as it was no fun to kill them with rifle
or to still hunt, by reason of numbers,
l proposed to have the rare sport
of hunting a few with the revolver and
from horseback. Next morning was
up before break of day, and telling my
orderly to accompany me we started
ahead of the command to hunt our
game, each with brace of Colt's
'.forty-five" revolvers and two hundred
rounds of ammunition apiece strapped
across our persons.
My pony was the most beautiful little
fellow imaginable. His color was Jet
black, and so glossy that it seemed to
possess the power of reflection. Every
point was perfectly developed, with
legs sleek and slim, beautifully arched
neck, on which was head that bore a
look of conscious superiority over the
common herd. This animal had been
the property of Rain-in- the Face, the
Sioux Indian who claims to be the
slayer of General Custer. He was a
perfect buffalo pony, trained to hunt
them bow-and-arrow style, never leay-
ing the side of bull until the latter
tumbled in his tracks. As l wanted to
sdopt similar tactics, substituting the
revolver for the bow and arrow, he was
the very best pony could have selected
for the purpose. My orderly was well
mounted, also. but upon no such ami
NAL as possessed.
We came in sight of one herd as dav
was breaking and Immediately gave
chase. The bison fled before us, we
tearing after them like mad, but in
few minutes the herd scattered and so
We selected certain bunch which we
followed up. l had gotten pretty close
upon my quarry, when whisk-out of
sight they went, and in moment l
had followed them. They had gone
over bank into creek so suddenly
that, not observing it, followed close
upon their heels; and there we were,
buffaloes. pony and myself, uninjured.
but f1oundering and swimming about
IN deep water. By the time l got to
the opposite bank and secured my
pony the bufaloes were gone out Of
sight. scampering across the prairie to
join the main herd, and my ORDERLY
stood ON the bluff behind where we
had just tumbled from, laughing at
my predicament He had luckily
checked himself and steed just in time
20 ssse both from following us
In half an hour matters were
out and we rode to the
top Of 4 neighboring knoll to get
view of the surroundings. Our orig
NAL herd was dim in the distance, a
cloud of dM't on the horizon telling
where they were going at full speed.
While regretiully watching them nv
orderly suddenly exclaimed:
Look, LieuA enant, here comes
another herd aero So the country and
making straight for US"