The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1889-07-20
A TENDERF0O1rS LUCK.
HOW HE SHOT HIS FIRST BUFFALO o
AND WHAT BECAME OF 1T,
He Crept Up on tho Herd, Blazed AWAY,
and IL Noble Bull Bit tho Dust-An Un-
profitable and Disagrccable Surprise.

Giving nn Indian Chew of Tobacco.
Ono day, while was ticket agent of tho
Kansas Pacific railroad at Wallace, Kan,
during the years that buffalo were still roam
ing i'll vast herds over tho plains, tho telc-
graph operator ut the station camo into my
otlico in a great state of excitement
There's a million buffalo feeding on tho
prairie only three miles below here" he cx-
claimed, land not moro than quarter of a
mile from the railroad track. Let's 60 down
and bag n few"
was still a tenderfoot i'll tho region, and
was crazy to kill buffalo, So in less than
ten minutes after tho operator brought me
the news We mounted a hand car, and, accom-
panied by one of tho track rcpaircrs, wcre
spinning along toward tho spot where tho buff
faloes were reported to bo feeding.
BUFFALO GOVERNMENT.
The report hadn't been exaggerated, except
that tho butfalocs were feeding no nearer
than milo from the track. That was tho
first herd of buffalo had seen. saw MANY
II big ono afterward, but never ono that could
compare i'll vastness with this great bison
gathering. Tho prairie seemed filled with
them. They formed ono black, unbroken, u,,-
dulatinS mass that seemed bounded only at
the horizon and stretched eastward and west
ward rs far rs tho eyo could follow it, Tho
herd was on the north side of the railroad
and feeding toward it. Derailing our hand
car and taking our guns, wo proceeded eau
tiously across the prairie, half creeping, half
crawling, until wo had succeeded in ap-
preaching to within quarter of mile of
tho advance guard Of tho mighty host
Wo then lay fiat on the grass and spent
some minutes i'll curious observation of the
throng We noticed, us far rs tho move
ments of the herd could he distinctly sccn
that it was divided up into detachments,
each ono of which was composed of Il bunch
of COWS and half grown calves, around which
was formidable Gordon of sleek young spike
bulls who had won their places in the royal
body guard by more than ono hard fought
battle with contcnling rivals. In advance
of all these guarded detachments ranged an
endless line of old bulls, immense specimens
of their race, but sullcn and tattcrcd-tle.
posed monarchs, serving where they had
once ruled, and plainly showing that they
felt their degradation. BY tho inevitable
and incNoruble laws of buffalo government
they had been forced to abandon all partic-
pati"n in the direction of affairs, and wer,
now simply doing duty us outposts to tho
usrpcrs i'll their realms, watching out fol.
signs of danger and keeping at distance
tho packs of coyotes that hung about the
herd Oh tho lookout for II chance to run Off
some stray calf or exhausted COW
AS wo lay there watching tho systematic
arrangement and conduct Of the vast herd,
its divisions and subdivisions and line of out.
posts, our attention was attracted by the pc.
culInr actions of various members of one OF
tho punches which was feeding nearest to us
First ono buffalo would give sudden jump
run several steps, stop and look back, and
then, giving his body thorough shaking
would resume his feeding again, only to re
peat his strange mancuvers n few seconds
later. Another and another wero affected
In tho Same way, and, ono after another
they finally fell abruptly to tho ground, I'M,
lay stretched motionlcss there at full length
10 solve tho mystery, VIC concluded to fire
into that particular bunch, which woul,
stampede ii, and i'll turn send tho entire her,
speeding away over the plain was allowc,
tho privilege of first fire. crawlel up L,
within 300 yards of tho bunch A magnfl
cent spike bull stood within easy range, broad
side to me. aimed Mt him and fired. II,
fell where ho stood. His Immediate compan
ions fed. Tho alarm spread along tho herd
and soon tho vast body was laundering ava,
to the northward, shaking tho prairie by
their mighty tread.
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
Followed by my comrades l rushed up t.
my trophy. put my foot on his massv
neck, and felt proud of my achievement.
looked back ut my companions. They wer
standing stock still ten feet behind me, tllei
eyes staring at something beyond mo mn
their jaws dropping turned to 500 wha
they were looking at and my eyes instantl
became rs staring wide open as theirs were
| never knew whcro he could havo com
from, but there at tho other sitlo of tho buf
falo had shot stood an Indian ue was n
least feet G inches tall Io was cntrel,
naked, except that he woro q strip of bucl,
skin around his loins and CULVER of arrow
at his back. His eyes flashed wckcdly rs Ii,
drew himself up to his full height, placed hi
foot OH tho buffalo, and shifting himself OF
his bare breast, exclaimed in n naughty ant
imperative tone:
"Ma boofalo-o-o!n
Before tho Indian had finished making hi
positive claim to tho buffalo became pain
fully aware that he was not alone, but tha
not less than six other Indians, rs big and n
ugly rs he was, had appeared on the scene n
quietly and mysteriously rs no had. l l,al
no intention whatever of disputins tho rel
thiefs claim, and know that neither Of my
companions had. took my foot OFF the dent
bull, which was all tho Indian l knew for re-
signing my right to tho trophy Tho Indinr
folded his arms and looked, thought, con
temptuously at us, and then exclaimed:
"Tabacz"
We interpreted this rightly to mean tha
tho Indian wanted chew Of tobacco. ST
multaneoilsly all three Of us produced big
plug and reached it toward him He tool
them all, bit Off Il chew from ono and sto'sc
tho three away somewhere in his brcccl
cloth Then, with wicked lccr, lie waved
his hand toward the railroad. We interpret
ed this to mean that VIC had better go AM
we went Tho mystery Of the strange ac
tions Of tho bufTaloes wo had seen fall wa
explained Tho Indians had been in hiding
on the edge Of the herd, and were picking of
the choicest Of them with their noiselcss an,
deadly arrows.
Wcnevcr looked back until VIC had rcacLct
our hand car on the track and were ready t,
start for home Then VIC saw the Indian
squatted in an excited group on tho ground.
''They are gambling for our tobacco" sale
tho trackman.
That Is tho way shot and lost my frs
buffalo, and have often congratulated my
self since that didn't lose my scalp, and al
ways wondered why that villainous retlskii
happened to let me keep it.-Cor. New Yorl
, Sun.
Referred the Case.
An English judge had well known disin
clination to try any case involving a question
of account. On one occasion the counsel To-
tho plaintiff, in a suit brought before his lord
ship, stated in his opening that his client
husband had gone to ''his long account"
"What is thats" asked tho learned judge
prickins up his ears. "A long account! u
) not going to try question Of account.
shall refer this case '-True Flag.
CURlOSlTIES OF NATURE.
! An Interesting Lecture on the Lowe
Forms of Animal Life.
DR.. W. I. Johnson lcctured in tho hall o
, Cooper Medical college, San Francisco, tax
ing for his theme, Tho Lower Forms Q
Animal Life" He treated his subject in
ronular manner With nllusions selcctei