Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-12-07


toward its waters.
While the scouts were out, Jean and
his hunters were accustomed to remain
at some favorable point on the river,
with canoes and ponies at hand. II
there was time after a scout came in to
give warning, they padded to point
just above where the herd was expected
to cross, and waited. But if greater
haste were necessary, they mounted
their ponies and rode at flying gallon
for the point of crossing, and taking
their position on the bank, shot the big
aniIoals as they luIged into the water or
swarm past.
During inc second autumn Of Jeans
buffalo hunting, there came down from
tho north the largest herd that he ever
saw, except the mighty one that after
wards came into the vicinity Of Fort
Rice, and is known in legend among
tina soldiers, scouts and hunters as the
"Eight-Square Mile Herd"
About the twentieth of Septembes
one of his hunters rode to Jeans station
with the information that herd, ''as
wide. as the eye could see" was moving
slowly up from the Buttes in direction
that would bring them to the river at q
point twenty miles above the station.
A young fellow of eighteen years, the
son of boat captain who lived in Vicl1s-
burg, was staying with Jean at tho time,
having come up the river for hunt. lie
had been out several times after buffa-
10, but had not succeeded in killing one.
When the news of the big herd came in,
he was wild with excitement.
81 can get one this timer shouted he,
after Jean had interpreted the Indians
report "Where there's no end to 'em,
there's a mighty sure chance
"Well, Louis" said Jean-the lads
name was Louis Longstreet-''you shall
have try, only don't get so nervous, or
you will not be able TO handle your
gun"
Five inmates later the two young
hunters were in the saddle. Jean had
sent his scout back with instructions to
stampede tho big herd as soon as he
and the other two scouts who were wait
ing out among the hills could get in be-
hind it.
Jean and Louis then started, keeping
to the hills which skirt the valley at a
distance of from one to three miles from
the river. This route was taken that
they might keep lookout for the herd,
and void also the danger of being caught
by the front of the stampede and forced
into the river, which might occur if they
kept too near the bank
l.; is not often that the accidents we
fear happen to us, but in this instance
Jeans very precaution served to get
himself and his companion entrapped at
p'3int whore escape from contact with
the wide front of the immense herd was
impossible.
Jean and Louis had set out about the
middle of the forenoon, and Jean calcu-
LATED that, if nothing unusual should
disturb the buffaloes, the Indians would
get them started shortly after midday,
ana thus the foremost buffalo should
reach the river at about three o'clock
There were two canoes hidden among
some willows at the mouth of small
creek about twenty miles above the post,
ana Jean expected, after finding the
bu1faloes, to reach the canoes in time to
wHidk tRGyc6dld adySaGtage;oSuisSiiy2 shoot
the swimming animals. lie dared not
trust so inexperienced hunter as Louis
in boat among swimming buffaloes.
For about two hours they proceeded
on their way. Jean all the time watch
cd Tor some sign of the big herd About
noJn several small bands of buffaloes
were sighted upon some elevations d.
rectly south of high point upon which
the riders had halted to take observa-
lions. These, the young trader conclud-
ed, were outposts of the main herd,
which he had no doubt were quietly
feeding upon the short, dry grass of tho
depressed prairie which lay between his
pointed view and the Bclted Buttes, the
conEcal tops Of which could be seen in
the distance. Just in front of the horse
men were some hills, higher than the
one they had mounted. In order to
avoid climbing these, Jean, who thought
that he had sufficiently located the
game, determined to travel in the river
valley for the rest of the distance. He
pointed out to Louis willow-grown ISL
and in the river opposite to where they
had halted.
"We'll ride up the valley about five
miles to where the canoes lie" said he.
'and then paddle down to that island.
where Wen land and wait for em. It'll
take us an hour and half, and by that
time the big herd will be moving this
way with noise like thunder"
They descended into the valley and
urged their ponies on at sharp gallon. !
just in front of them the river curved |
and flowed for several miles to the east.
They had turned this bend and had
pushed on for two miles or more, the
valley narrowing constantly as they pro-
ceeded, when, just ahead of them, there |
burst over the high ground, amid cloud |
of dust, a great rolling mass of dark |
objects, which covered the sloping hill
sides almost instantly The riders
came to a sudden halt.
'The big herd'r said jean, hurriedly.
We'll have to scatter. Louis-too bad
but down streams the only safe route
for us, and we must hurry, too-some
mistake-confound those rascals!' mean
ing the Indian hunters.
They could now hear the heavy rum
BILE of hoofs which, coming in the dis
lance, had been lost in the clatter of
their horses rapid gallop. Louis
thought it did, indeed, sound like the
mutter of distant thunder They wheel
ed their ponies and struck the spurs into
their TANKS. To their right stretched
the range OF hills which had hidden the
coming herd, and to their left, a mile
ran the river, sweeping round
nearly in front of them, few minutes
ride ahead
Ride hard!" shouted Jean.
They were close to the foothills, and