Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1888-03-01
A HUNT ON THE PLAINS.
HOW SOLDIERS CHASED ELK IN
THE NEBRASKAN HILLS.

THE NEBRASKAN HILLS.
Exciting Moments for Horses as Well as
Men-Plan OF Attack Upon a Herd-A
Big Bunch of Sleepy Elk-A Shower of
Snow Balls.
Not more than hundred yards away was
fine grouping of game that would have de-
lighted the heart of Landseer, and certainly
delighted mine Slowly retreating until the
friendly ridge once more covered us, we
crawled back through the cactus to rejoin
our horses and our impatient comrades. AS
mounted 1 said briefly that our time was
at hand and the battle not far off. believe
the horses knew this better than the men, for
as came crawling back through the snow
every equine ear in the party followed me as
closely as if had bushel of oats in my
possession; and when I 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 as
well as every man what was ahead of him
and better, too, for all of them had been in
those exciting chases more times than two
thirds of the party. The only noises that
broke the hush of the still morning were
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
hundred yards away, as if they were charge
of fixed bayonets, and the red dilated nos
trils, the fixed eyes and the heaving breasts
showed that they, too, felt all the excitement
of their masters. f
THE PLAN 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 space OF
from three to four yards and facing the
ridge that hid us from the unsuspecting elk,
were stretched like skirmish line, while l
rode out in front of the center of the line
just far enough to be easily seen by all.
Looking hurriedly along the little line, saw
that all were ready, with the loaded carbines
pointing in the air, the butts resting on the
right thighs, and couple of spare cartridges
in each mans hand Raising the butt OF my
carbine high in the air as a signal for start
ing, l took half dozen steps forward at
prancing walk, brought the carbine down to
a level, and the line took up trot for
dozen yards. Then raised the carbine muz-
zle up and the party broke into long,
SWINGING gallop. Half wav across the
frosted slope, the cst.p1ne was raised to full
arms length, and we burst over the ridge at
gait that Hanover or Iroquois might envy,
and with an unbroken 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 dumfounded brutes
had "bunched"-the first act of an atfrighted
herd-we were right in among them.
Many of the older hunters dropped their
carbines across their saddle bows, and, draw
ing their revolvers, delivered deadly fire at
binding range. Dashing through this little
bewildered herd like a gust of wind, the
hunting party swung to the left of the slope
of the long ridge where, from $50 to 200
yards away, the main herd had punched"
600 to 800, if not 1000, strong. With all the
rough rattle of shots, the hard hitting of
horns against horns, and the drumlike clatter
Of the hoofs, there was a singular silence,
incongruous with SO much rapidly varying
excitement, for orders had been given that
not whisper should be heard till the elk
had broken in an organized run in definite
opened in that direction, with a princely
buck at the head, there went up from US
yell that Glove the very clouds, and scattered
the band only to bunch again. That shout
delayed them hardly three seconds, but that
three seconds made a success of the hunt,
and before it ended we were among them,
every citizen and soldier now his own indi-
vidual commander, and responsible for his
own success
SHOWER OF SNOW BALLS
Far down on my right the marshars car
bine had been knocked from his hand by the
horns of plunging buck, while near me, on
the left, burly Wurtumberger corporal,
with empty, smoking pistol, brought the bar
rel down like a 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 the
ground stunned. 1t was hand to hoof and
horns for 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, as 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 in the rear
had to face as well. Every ball that struck
a horse delayed him. One man, struck on
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 number
Of men putting in an appearance from camp,
we retraced our steps to it, each one recount
ing his personal adventures. nn.a.
1t was growing dark as the sergeant in
charge Of the wagon party raped at my
tent and reported: s'The wagons are in with
the carcasses of nineteen elk, and am salts
fed we have gotten them all, SIR" The
next day we started for home.-Frederick
Schwatka in The Century.
Fond Of Long Words.
Z A certain mistress of household manages