The Dickinson press., 1888-03-03
A HUNT ON THE PLAINS.
HOW SOLDIERS CHASED ELK IN
THE NEBRAsKAN HILLS.

HOW SOLDIERS CHASED ELK IN
THE NEBRAsKAN HILLS.
Exciting Moments for Horses as Well as
Men-Plan of Attack Upon u Herd-A
Big Bunch of Sleepy Elk-A Shower Of
Snow Balls.
Not more than a hundred yards way was
a fine grouping of game that would have de-
lighted the heart of Landsecr. and certainly
delighted mine. Slowly retreating until the
friendly ridge once more covered us, We
crawled back through the cactus to rc.ioin
our horses and our impatient comrades. AS
l mounted said briefly that our time was
at hand and the battle not far Off. believe
the horses knew this better than the men, for
rs l came crawling back through the SNOW
every equine ear in the party followed me as
closely as if l had n bushel of oats in my
possession; md when 1 mounted my own
little sorrel he was trembling from head to
foot, and he laid his nose against my knee as
if to gain information in his own peculiar
way. Every horse in that platoon knew MS
we'll as every man what was ahead of HIM
and better, too, for all of them had been in
those exciting chascs more times than NO.
thirds of the party. The only noises that
broke the hush of the still morning were u
few hurried whispers and the ominous clicks
OF the breech locks as the cartridges fell
home in their chambers. All the horses ears
were as rigidly set toward the crest, about Il
hundred yards away, as if they were IL charge
of fixed bayonets, and the rcd dilatcd nos
trils, the fixed eyes and the hcaving breasts
showed that They, too, felt all the excitement
of their masters.
H Ian OF CAMPAIGN.
We had arranged our plans the night be-
fore, and now we hurried to carry them out.
Down the hollow of the ravine the hunters,
separated from one another by Il space of
from three to four yards and facing the
ridge that hid lis from the ullslspecting elk,
We're stretched like n skirmish line, while l
rode out in front of the center of the line
just far enough to be easily seen ly all.
Looking hurricdly along the little line, l saw
that all were ready, with the loaded carbincs
pointing in the air, the butts resting on the
right thighs, and q couple of spare cartridges
i'll each mans hand. Raising the butt of my
carbine high in the dir rs q signal for start
ing, ] took n half dozen steps forward at II
prancing walk, brought the carbine down to
a level, IL the line took up a trot for q
dozen yards. Then l raised the carbinc nluz-
zle up and the party broke MO Il long,
swinging gallop. Half way across the
frosted slope, the carbinc was raised to full
arms length, and we burst over the ridge at
a gait that Hanover or 1roquois might envy.
and with al unbrolen line worthy Of the
Cent Gardes. The swift impetus carried the
sweeping crowd half way from the ridge to
the sleepy elk before the latter gained their
feet, and by the time the dumfuunled lrutes
had "bunched"-the first act of an utllishted
herd-we were right in among them.
Many of the older hunters dropped their
carbincs across their saddle bows, and, draw
ing their revolvers, delivered n deadly fire at
binding range. Dashing through this little
bewlldered herd like Il gust of wind. tho
hunting party swung to the left of the slope
of the long ridge where, from 80 to 200
yards away, the main herd had 'bunclcd,'
600 to 500, if not 1000, strong. With all the
rough rattle of shots, the hard hitting of
horns against horns, and the drllnllike clatter
of the hoofs, there was a singular silence,
i%ncOngruous with SO much rapidly varying
excitement, for orders had been given that
not Il whisper should be heard till tho elk
lad broken III an organized run i'll Il definite
course. As the western wall of elk horns
opened in that direction, with a princely
buck at the head, there went up from us IL
yell that Glove the very clouds, and scattered
tho band only to bunch again. That shout
delayed them hardly three seconds, but tina.
three seconds made n success of the hunt,
and before it ended we We're among them,
every citizen and soldier now his own indi-
vidual commander, and responsible for his
own success.
A SHOWER OF sNow
Far down on my right the marsEul's car
bine had been knocked from his hand by the
horns of n plunging buck, while near me-, on
the left, u burly Wurtumbergcr corporal,
with empty, smoking pistol, broughtthe bar
rel Town like q club on the head of an elk
that was trying in the crush to push its way
directly over his horse. The elk fell to tho
ground stunned. 1t was hand to hoof and
horns for q brief second or two, and then the
great surging mass broke to the westward
and the long chase began. 1t had been all
our way so far, but to the assistance of the
herd there now came one of the most uneX-
pected allies that even an old hunter could
imagine. 1t was the soft SNOW, that up to
this time had helped us in tracking them;
for, US the herd surged ahead, there came
from their feet one of the most persistent
showers of snow balls, of iron like con-
sistency, that any one was ever called on to
face, and was surpassed only by those thrown
by the horses themselves. which, strung out
in disorder, the men and horses i'll the rear
had to face as well. Every ball that struck
a horse delayed him. Ono man, struck OH
the head, was disabled from managing his
reins, while another, struck full in the face,
had his upper lip split open to the teeth.
Many followed his example and withdrew
from the battle. The chase over, the party
slowly assembled near the bodies of the first
victims, and the two wagons with a number
of men putting i'll an appearance from camp,
we rctraced our steps to it, each one recount
ing his personal adventures.
1t was growing dark as the sergeant in
charge of the wagon party raped at my
ten and reported: "The wagons are i'll with
the carcasses of nineteen elk, and l am salts
fed we lave gotten them all, Sir" The
next day we started for home.-Frederick
Schwatka i'll The Century.
The Walters of America.
1t is twice rs difficult to keep walters under
control here as i'll European cities. They
have to be constantly watched or they be
come careless-they lose the manner of good
walters. The fact is, the average American
diner ic tha hest natural MAN on o,,.tb rb,