The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1888-05-10
WHOLESALE BUFFALO HUNTING.
NARROW ESCAPE OF PARTY OF WHITE MEN.
THRILLING SIGHT.

OF PARi4 OF WHITE y.
A THRILLING SIGHT.
They heard strange noises, aud looking
toward the west beheiI great black
urging mass. waving and rolling up
across the prairie, hall hidden by great
clouds of dust, which We're only occasion
ally blown away by the the brisk aut-
umn winds. 1t was tue great herd of
buffalo and they had been stampeded by
the Indian hunters. The roar of the
ho0fS up on the dry earth was like the
low and sullen thunder. The vanguard
Il tue herd was yet more than a mile
| away, but the dark Iiue stretched to right
| aid left almost as far as the eye could
reach, and our hunt rs saw that instant
and precipitate flight was necessary in
order to save their lives. They specially
chose the northward as Offering tue
| shortest and best direction by which to
escape the coming avalanche, and, sink
ing The spurs deep into their terror
stricken beasts, they flew with the velo
city OF aU arrow across the wild prairie.
4 lie was covered in q few seconds,
and yet they were not past the herd,
which was rapidly closing in upon
| them.
L Icy lliIbct! iBSIE HGistS nSoUS pattlit
the direction the buffaloes were going
md, urging them TO their utmost speed
finally passed the outer line of the herd
just as the leaders passed by. Then,
having reached a place OF safety, they
dismounted, and throwing their bride
| reirs over their arms, commenced TO
| load and fire into the herd with all pos
| sibIe rapidiiy, nearly every shot Killing
| or disabling an animal 1t took nearly
half an hour for the rolling, surgiDg.
angry horde to pass the point where our
| hunters stood, and as the rear guard
| came in sight there came new and
| still more terrible scene IN the great
tragedy.
More than 100 Indians were IN hot pur
suit OF the savage beasts. They were
mounted on wild and almost uugoyern
able bronchos, who were frothing at the
mouth, charging cavorting among the
fleeing game. The white foam dropping
| fakes aud bubbles from all parts OF
their bodies. Their nostrils were dis
tended their eyes flashed fire and they
| seemed as eager as their wild masters TO
| deal death to their victims. The savage
riders seemed beside themselves with
mad, upgoyeruable passion.
Their faces were painted in the most
glaring eolors, their bright and many
colored blankets futtersd in the vivid,
secured 70 the saddle only by an end or q
corner, their long black hair streaming
| back like the peunaut at the mast head
of ship, and their deep, black eyes
cleaned like diamonds i'll dungeon.
Arrow after arrow flew from deep strnug
| bows aud sunk to the featherel end III
the quivering flesh of the shaggy mon
| sters. Pouderous spears were hurled
with the power aud precision of giants
| and struck down the defeuceiesS victims
as sturdy woodman strikes down the
frail sapling in his path.
"Crack!' ''crack!' came from rifles,
and ''piDg!' "ping!" from carbines and
reyolvers. Hundreds OF shots were fred
by tbose.who carried firearms, and before
these murderoRs weapons the poor bison
sank like ripenea grain before the reap
er's blade.
One young warrior, more ardent and
| fearless than the rest, had forced his
high strung steed far into the middle cf
the solid phalanx, where the horse was
| finally impaled upon the horns of mon
ster bull He and his rider were tossed
like sheaves of wheat into the air; then
both sank to the earth, and were instant
| ly trOdden into the dust.
| At last the great storm had passed, and
our friends watched until it faded away
into the distance and disappeared from
their view. Then came the squaws, the
boys and the old men, to dispatch the
wounded and to skin and cut up the dead
! These were strewn all over the prairie,
and not tithe of them were or could
be saved by all the people, white and
red, assembled thele.-G. o. Shields iu
Outing.