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

and alighted upon his shoulder on the
edge of the bank. lie clutched atthe
top OF the bank with his right hand
his left arm was bruised and numbed
from the shock-clung for brief In
slant, then slid down some ten or twelve
feet into the current.
Jean made one more effort TO force his
animal over the brink, but failed, then,
too much alarmed for Louis TO wait
longer, no sprang from the saddle, threw
away his gun and jumped after his COM
rade.
Louis was thrashing the water with
one arm in desperate effort to swim away
from the bank, but his wounded arm and
boots impeded him, tho thick muddy
water dragged him down, and the poor
fellow would have sunk even before the
buffaloes were upon him had not Jean
come to the rescue.
Jeans ideas of what followed during
tho next few seconds are confused; but
he remembers that he got hold OF Louis,
and helped to buoy him up while they
kicked and struggled hard against the
current; that they managed to get few
yards from the shore. Then buffaloes
seemed to rain down over the bank,
blowing its deep sides and sousing into
the water with heavy splashes, making
the current boil around them.
The next instant the desperate hunt
ers were in the midst of putting, snort
ing mass of big, hairy swimmers, sea
of humps, horns and noses AS big
bull came granting and putting along
side of the two young men, Jean, who
knew that the buffalo is inoffensive in
water, made grab with his free hand
and caught the old fellow by the long
hair on his hump. "Now, Louis, get
hold here!" he shouted; and Louis, who
was recovering the use OF his arm, got
hold with both hands.
Now we're all right" said Jean,
''only keep we'll behind so he won't
turn" The bull snorted wildly at the
sound of the shouts, and swan frantical-
ly in the effort to get free from his UNI
welcome freight.
Jean, still keeping fast hold Of the
great brute's name, drifted backward as
far as he could and then Topped him
self over the creatures sunken hind
quarters, so that 1t now towed one per-
son on each side. Once the bull turned
his head as il about to face about,
but Jean promptly let go with his right
hand and struck him blow on the eye.
Don't let him turn your way, Louis
said Jean. Lets keep him as straight
ahead as he can go. Kick hard and help
all you can; we must get across before
the rest of EN- If possible"
Louis readily comprehended the situa-
ton. The cool water helped him to re-
gain the use of his arm, in which, for
tunately, no bone was broken, and he
worked vigorously to relieve the bull OF
a part of tho burden of drawing him on
behind
The old fellow proved to be strong
swimmer, and exerting himself to the
utmost to get rid of his hangers-on, he
reached shallow water several rods in
advance of the nearest others Of the
herd. Here The boys let go OF the bull,
which lunged himself out upon pro-
jecting sand-bar and thence up the bank
beyond.
Jean and Louis followed the bull to
the shore, and ran to some scattered cot
tonwoods which grow along the bank.
Each got behind tree, and there stood
wringing his clothes and slapping his
arms to warm himself, while for fifteen
or twenty minutes the dripping herd
numbered past them, the swelling sea of
humps stretching for half mile on
either side.
An hour later Jeans hunters, who had
ridden up on the other side, discovered
Jean and Louis, who were pacing the
bank as they awaited their comrades
arrival. One Of the hunters went for a
canoe and came across after them. Then
they learned that a party Of Aniskaras.
from above had stampcdcd the herd and
had hung upon its outskirts until they
had killed as many buffaloes as they
wanted.
Since he left his saddle to plunge to
the rescue Of his comrade, Jean has
never seen or heard Of either of the POI
MES which he and Louis rode on the day
of the stampede. They were undoubt-
eddy forced into the river, and either
were drowned or swan TO the other bank
and ran on with the herd. He Is inclined
to think that they crossed safely and
were picked up by some struggling band
of the Assinneboines or Crees, who
hunted upon that side Of the river.
One Of the half-breeds, after much
diving, recovered Louis gun from the
mud of the river, and 1t was found to be
uninjured. But jeans gun, which he
also recovered, was bent, broken and
useless.-Frank w. Calkins, in Youths
COMPANION.