Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-29
WITH SIOUX WARRIORS.
A Great Indian buffalo Hunt De-
scribed by n White Participant.

scrtbed DIV n White Participant
In these days when we hear much OF
the last of the buffalo, let me tell you
and your readers of the last great
buffalo hunt OF the Sioux Indians, says
a writer In Forest and Stream. I was
one OF three or four white men who
happened to be present at the great and
what must be to all there a never-to-b be-
forgotten event.
On the 25th Of October. 1883, about
four hundred lodges of the Sioux left
their camp at Standing Rock, on the
Missouri river, for their great buffalo
hunt on the Grand river plains, some
W hundred miles to the westward.
The runners had come in with the in
telligence that tatonkas were plentiful
on the head of the Heart, the Cannon
Ball and Grand rivers; so the hunt was
called, soldiers elected, councils held,
medicine made, and We were ready TO
start. 90.
1t was a grand sight that frosty Octo-
Der morning. Hundreds OF gayly
dressed Indians, mounted on their wiry
little ponies, herds of pack animals,
wagons, carts and long lines of tcavois
loaded down with tepees and blankets;
old squaws and Young ones, men and
children crowded the trails leading
out upon the yellow plain. As vas
their custom. not u gun was allowed to
be fired. The prairie chicken could sit
and eat his ~buckberries without fear of
the rifles death-dealing crack; the
antelope could gaze ~curiously from the
many little ridges; his time was not
yet; the Struggling bull would start
from some grassy hollow and lumber
off, but no lead nor lance sought to stay
his flight.
After six days. marching we could see
the crest of Rainy Butte, but still some
forty miles to the westward. One even
ing we had made our camps on the
banks of a tributary of Heart liver and
piles of buffalo chips were smoking be-
fore every lodge when the lookout IN
tinel posted on the nearest hill signaled
scouts coming.n Then in "A short time
the four Sioux sent out in the morning
came riding into camp, going first to
the chiefs lodge to report, and soon the
crier was heard, his resounding yells
reaching every part of the camp. 1t
was the Indians evening paper and
soon all knew the events of the day, in
Guiding the scouts report. That even
ing a grand council was held and 100 of
the best riders aud hunters were
elected for the morrow's hunt as killers,
for the scouts had reported a large herd
of buffalo only four miles away.
1t was a great sight thatthe sun shone
upon the next morning. A hundred of
the picked Sioux, mounted on their
feetest and fastest ponies, led by old
Rain-in-the-Face OF Black Hills and Big
Horn fame, filed out on the broad prai-
rie. Following these came the skin
ners and packers. The herd was soon
located. The number might have been
Ef,~4., 80 ,1l -, tuta t1D,,-nl FN,r~
of the hunters were sent around to get
in the wind of the game, while the rest
spread out to windward, carefully keep
ing out of sight of the buffalo. We had
not long to wait. The animals soon
scented the men, and away they went
charging over the prairie, head to the
wind. at a rate which soon brought them
in sight of the waiting hunters. See
ing these they sought to turn, but too
late. The yelling Sioux were around
and among tLem. The sharp crack of
the short Winchester and Sharp car
bines, mingled with the wild. triumph
ant cries from the hunters, the inces-
SAINT roar OF hoofs, the clouds of yellow
dust, believing bulls, snorting ponies
ridden by half-uaked savages, made a
scene for excitement the like of which
it has never been my fortune to witness.
The herd soon became ratified, turning
this way and that; met on every side by
their almost equally active foe. their
leaders shot down or crippled, they
commenced to run in a circle
milling" as it is called. This
is just what the Indians wanted.
They now rode at the outside,
sending their lead down into the backs
of the flying animals. and often at such
close range that the hair was singed by
the powder blast. Hundreds fell until
the plain seemed to be one great
Straightforward. Breaking at last, the
small remnant of the morning herd
tried to seek safety in a wild dash for
liberty. Straight away over the plain
they went, stopping for nothing; and
woe to the Indian trying to stop or turn
them. 1t was during the winding up of
the chase that the daring riding of the
Indians could be seen. Singing out a
flying buffalo an Indian would give
chase. Slowly the gap between pursued
and pursuer would be closed. With
head down, tongue out. and blazing