Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-11-21
A HUNT on TIE PLAINS.
HOW SOLDIERS CHASED ELK IN
THE NEBRASkAN HILLS.

tNtG tNEpfAfN1fNfNNs FfA12s
Exciting Moments for Horses as Well as
Men-Pian OF Attack Upon "a H-rd-A
Hig Bunch OF sleepy Eik--A shower of
snow halls.
Not more than hundred yards away was
fine grouping of game that would have de-
lighted the heart OF Iantiseer, and certainly
delighted mine, Slowly ratrcating until the
friendly ridge oDse more covered u.s. we
erawled back through the cartus 10 rejoin
our horses and our impatient comrades As
mounted said briefly that our time was
at hand and the battle mot far off believe
the horses knew this better than the men, for
as came crawling back through the snow
every equine ear IN the party followed me as
closely as If l had bushel of oats In my
possession; and when | mounted my own
little sorrel he was trembling from head 10
foot, and he laid his nose against my knee as
II to gain information in his own peculiar
way. Every horse in that platoon knew as
well as every man what was ahead Of him
and better, too, for all OF them had BEEN in
those exciting chases more times than two
thirds Of the party. The only noises that
broke the hush Of the still morning were a
few hurried whispers and the ominous clicks
OF the breech locks as the cartridges fell
home in their chambers. All the horses cars
were as rigidly set toward the crest, about
hundred yards away, as If they were charge
of fixed bayoncts, and the red dilated nos
trils, the fixed eyes and the heaving breasts
showed that they, too, felt all the excitement
Of their masters
THE PLAN OF CAMPAIGN
We had arranged our plans the night be-
fore, and now we hurried % carry them out.
Down the hollow Of the rnvine the hunters,
separated from one another by a space of
from three to four yards and facing the
ridge that hid us from the unsuspecting elk,
were stretched like "a skirinish line, while
rode out in front OF the center Of the line
just far enough to he easily seen by all
Looking hurriedly along the little line, saw
that all were ready. with the loaded carbines
pointing in the air, the butts resting ON the
right thighs, and couple OF spare cartridges
In each mans hand. Raising the butt of my
carbine high in the air as a signal for start
ing, took half dozen steps forward at
prancing walk, brought the carbine down TO
a level, and the line took up a trot for a
dozen yards. Then raised the carbine muz-
zls up and the party broke into a long,
swinging gallop. Half way across the
frosted slope, the earbine was raised TO full
arms length, and we burst over the ridge at
gait that Hanover or Iroquois might envy,
and with an unbrokcn line worthy OF the
Cent Gardes. The swift impetus carried the
sweeping crowd half way from the ridge to
the sleepy elk before the hitter gained their
feet, and by the time the dumfounded brutes
had 'bunchedH-tho first act of an affrighted
herd--we were right in among them.
Many of the older hunters dropped their
earbines across their saddle bows, and, draw
ing their reyolvers, delivered a deadly fire at
binding range. Dashing through this little
bewildered herd like a gust of wind, the
hunting party swung 10 the left OF the slope
OF the long ridge where, from i50 to 200
yards away, the main herd had .'bunched,n
600 to 500, il not 900, strong. With all the
rough rattle of shots, the hard hitting of
horns against horns, and the drumlike clatter
of the hoofs, there was a singular silence,
incongruous with SO much rapidly varying
excitement, for orders had been given that
not whisper should lie heard till the elk
had broken in an organized run in definite
course. As the western wall of elk horns
opened in that direction, with princely
buck at the head, there went up from US a
yell that Glove the very clouds, and scattered
the band only to bunch again. That shout
delayed them hardly three seconds, but that
three seconds male success of the hunt,
and before il ended we were among them,
every citizen and soldier now his own indi-
yidual commander, and responsible for his
own success
A SHOWER OF SNOW BALLS.
Far down ON my right tho marshal's car
bine had been knocked from his hand by the
horns Of plunging buck, while near me, on
the left, burly Wurtumberger corporal,
with empty, smoking pistol, brought the bar
rel down like a club on the head of an elk
that was trying in the crush 10 push its way
directly over his horse The elk fell TO the
ground stunned. Ii was hand to hoof and
horns for a brisf second or two, and then the
great surging mass broke to the westward
and the long chase began. IL had been all
our way 50 far, but TO the assistance of the
herd there now came one of the most unex-
pecteI allies that even an old hunter could
imagine II was the soft snow, that up TO
this time had helped US In tracking them;
for, as the herd surged ahead, there came
from their feet one of the most persistent
showers OF snow balls, of iron like con-
sistency, that any one was ever called on 10
face, and was surpassed only by those thrown
by the horses themselves, which, strung out
in disorder, the men and horses in the rear
had 10 face as well. Every ball that struck
horse delayed him One man, struck on
the head, was disabled from managing his
reins, while another, struck full in the face,
Ind his upper lip split open TO the teeth.
Many followed his example and withdrew
from tho battle. The chase over, the party
slowly assembled near the bodies of the first
victims, and the two wagons with number
of men putting in an appearance from camp,
we rotraced cur steps TO 1t, each one recount
ing his personal adventures
1t was growing dark rs the sergeant in
charge Of the wagon party raped at my
tent and reported: .'Ths wagons are in with
the earcasses of nineteen elk, and am satis-
fled we have gotten them all, sir" The
next day we started for home.-Frederick
Schwatka in The Century.
The Walters of America
Il Is twice as difficult 10 keep walters under
control here rs in European cities. They
"a A..