Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1890-03-05

their position on the bank, shot the big
animals as they lunged into the water or
( swan past.
During the second autumn OF Jeans
buffalo hunting, there came down from
the 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 a legend among
the soldiers, scouts and hunters as the
"Eight-Square Mile Herd"
About the twentieth of September
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 a direction
that would bring them to the river at a
point twenty miles above the station.
A young fellow of eighteen years, the
SON OF boat captain who lived in Vicks-
burg, was staying with Jean at the time,
having come up the river for a hunt. Ho
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.
al can get one this time!" 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 minutes later the two young
hunters were In the saddle. Jean had
sent his scout back with instructions to
stampede the big herd as soon as he
and the other two scouts who were watt
ing out among the hills could get in be-
hind IL.
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 IL they
kept too near the bank
1t 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
point where 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, IL nothing unusual should
disturb the buffaloes, the Indians would
get them started shortly after midday,
and 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 a small
creek about twenty miles above the post,
and Jean expected, after finding the
buffaloes, to reach the canoes in time to
paddle down to some bar or island from
which they could advantageously shoot
the swimming animals. He 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
ed for some sign Of the big herd. About
noon several small bands of buffaloes
were sighted upon some elevations di-
rectly south of high point upon which
the riders had halted to take observa-
tons. These, the young trader conclud-
ed, were outposts of the main herd,
which he had no doub. were quietly
feeding upon the short dry grass of the
depressed prairie which lay between his
pointed view and the Belted Buttes, the
conical 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 we'll land and wait for 'em. It'll
take us an hour and a 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 gallop.
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, 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.
"We1l 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, mile
distant, ran the river, sweeping round
nearly in front OF them, few minutes
ride ahead.
Ride hard!' shouted Jean.
They we're close to the foothills, and
the herd was bearing down on them
with a roar that increased like the sud-
den rising of the wind. They spurred
their ponies vigorously, and were get
ting good rate of speed out Of the
short-legged little fellows, when out
from a big ravine, not three hundred
| yards ahead, there shot a great, solid
tongue Of bufTaloes, and over the hill to
the right swept dense, black mass, fill
ing in the gap between those behind and
those ahead. Jean and Louis we're
trapped-hemmed in on all sides but
one, and on that side was the river.
Instinctively both riders veered off
and made for the head of the stampede,
which was now rapidly rolling on in
front Of them. The buffaloes had evil
IDENTIFY received a wild alarm from some
source in the rear, for the huge, irregu-
| lar crescent, literally living. moving