Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-07-04
NY FIRST BUFFALO
BY s. WINS.

Wy FIRST bUrFAHU
Hy DELBERT s. WINS
or.ly after the Texas Pacific was
blete! to Dallas, Texas. accom-
q bv Frank Goode, an old chum,
line morning in June, I started
Shreveport, La, to that lively
We had both been employed as
in one of the largest retail
8 in Shreveport. At this partic-
time of the year business always
dull. and we knew that there
a soon be a reduction of force, and
concluded not to wait and take
ces Of being discharged, and there
told the proprietor that
were going to quit.
bat time Dallas was having quite a
and we thought we would try
uck there. We had been in Dallas
DAYS, but as yet had not found a
tion. On the morning of the third
bitter orr arrival, we came across o
who were fitting out to go in pur-
bi bntialoes, which were reported to
Dry numerous on the great plains
/ thirty miles southwest Of Fort
E. We happened to be acquainted
two of the party, who were old
plmales of ours in the North, and,
ey extended us an invitation to &C.
bany them on their hunt, we de-
to do so.
strong mule teams, attached to
wagons, were taken along
bring back the spoils Of
chase, besides good saddle
b for every member Of the party
bt Frank and myself.
the close Of the second day out
Dallas we saw considerable sign
Halo, and about noon of the next
be came to some fine springs which
d from the bank of a small creek,
Psit was a good point for camping,
as buffalo signs we're numerous,
guide thought it best to take a
there for a day or two at least.
snk and | were astir on the follow
morning by the first streak of day,
We began eagerly to scan the hori-
lerery direction for the coveted
/. We We're not long in discover
; vast herd quietly grazing on
plains, about two miles to the
lwest Of where we were camped.
ii suggested that we take our
chesters and quietly slip away from
P for no one else was yet astir-
surprise the boys with a buffalo
( for breakfast. This was the very
s was about to propose to him,
as both of us were in the same
ln, twenty minutes later we were
lng the vast herd.
bat was the first herd of buffalo I
ever beheld. l saw many big ones
ward, but never encountered one
could compare in vastness with this
MY bison herd. The prairie seemed
with them-they formed one dark
oxen, undulating mass that seemed
aded only at the horizon, and
Feled southwark as far as the eye
ID follow.
proceeded cautiously across
prairie, half creeping, halt
ing, keeping ourselves obscured
'le tall broom-weeds, which grew
RIflantly between us and the herd,
We had succeeded in approaching
aShln about thirty rods Of the ad.
e guard Of the mighty host.
We lay there watching the system
arrangement and conduct Of the
nerd, its divisions and subdivisions,
me OF outposts, our attention was
acted by the peculiar actions Of
Jus numbers of one of the divisions
u was grazing nearest to us.
lsst one buffalo would give sudden
: run a few steps, stop and look
ana then, giving his body a thor.
shaking, would resume his feeding
u, only to repeat his strange man
Frs a few seconds later. Others
Alne Affected in the same way, anG
after another, they finally fel
lp'ly to'the ground, and lay mo
less at full length.
~ seems to me-" said I. in a wits
frank, that rattlesnakes mus
Nc cause Of this"
No. said he, II have heard it sale
Il prairie RATHER cam
" buffalo, and even if they
not as quick as these
wy nave gone down anyhow. !
/; saw anything like that before il
tlie, and can't understand it."
solve the mystery we concluded
che INTO that particular bunch
- would cause them to stamped
ene main herd. We each selected
aa'o and fred. The one I had
fall was a magnificent spike bull
~, tne instant the gun cracked
one which Frank shot q
TnA his immediate companions
tba spread along the herd. ant
'ne vast body was laundering
w. W. the southwest, shaking thl
~ their mighty tread.