Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-04-22

I.lEf7:Es<Ib ~ i i! ,, than II; ! ! HSs;
lAA %Gs(SD E""nuLta@ the wits out of
kSSsA NTF0 him; but unless
EFNH XaESs7sK II you hit him in a
ls9lISSksgnYYfTf XVII ;'| vital part you can
2I&s 9FE almost put
whole cartridge box into him before you
will bring him down"
The speaker was raw boned frontiers
man, who fer more than thirty years had
lived in the West He had taken Gree
ley's advice and grown up with the
country. He had swung through a wide
range, and had lived among the mount
aims, but now owned large ranch on
the plains. Though engaged extensively
in the cattle business, there was time
when he was as we'll nigh as largely en-
gagged in the buffalo business.
yes" he resumed, 'you can send
them flying as easily as you can brood
of chickens, but it will not require the
wind of thoroughbred horse to catch
up with them. And when a buffalo runs
he is the most ungainly, numbering crea-
turc going.
Just about twenty years ago [ was
along here when down from the north
east rolled big herd of them, contain
ing fully 80, 600 buffaloes. 1t had been
a dry season. I was among the hills
yonder when heard the thunder of their
heavy gallop. The earth fairly shook
beneath their tremendous movement.
Great clouds of dust rose above them, as
though cyclone was tearing up the
earth and filling the air. That small
stream we crossed short distance back
was not near so full Of water as it is now.
But the buffaoes had scented it, and
had come from miles away for it with a
mad rush.
1T seemed as they approached that
their speed Quickened. The herd was
led by number Of great, powerful bulls.
Their eyes rolled, while their tongues
hung from their open mouths. | had
watched herds approach and pass me be-
fore. But, hidden behind a rock, so as
not to disturb them, [ watched with an
entirely new interest the sweep Of this
herd, impelled by the fiery torments of a
consuming thirst. | quickly perceived
its object, and, as the channel Of the
stream is trihe deep. | judged that
there would be sudden increase of
speed for brief moment when the banks
were reached.
81 had witnessed a comparatively dry
river bed quickly covered by foaming
torrent, whose rising tides soon swirled
and boiled up to the very top of the
shores-a result OF heavy storms nearer
their source. l concluded from the I'M
petuous rush of this turbulent stream of
buffaloes that the channels of this river
would soon be covered and quite filled.
But a moment later my conclusions were
more than realized. For when the lead
ers reached the very brink they plunged
down the steep bank, and they would
have suffered no particular injury from
the sudden and swift descent, because a
buffalo, though awkward and weighing
a ton, when he goes down almost pre-
cipitous decline will SO combine tum-
bic with slide and roll and leap that,
much like cat, he will soon be right
side up at the bottom. 1t was what came
after them that prevented the leaders
from getting the best Of the bargain In
reaching the water first.
For this great herd was almost a
solid, compact mass, and it had acquired
such momentum in its headlong career
that considerations for the fate of the
leaders were not of sufficient force, If
even they had been entertained soon
enough, to perceptlbly cheek its move
ments. So down the banks they tumbled
on top of the leaders, rank after rank,
until the channel for quarter OF mile
was tull and overlooking with them.
Yes, the momentum was so great
and the stop so sudden that from my
point of observation it seemed like an
enormous blak wave, whose edge had
suddenly swollen higher than the sue
ceeding body, and it was rolling over
and over because of the undertOw.
Pushed on by the great mass behind, the
butfaloes which reached the bank had to
leap upon the backs of those ahead for
their lives, and 50 that great mass rolled
over and over. throwing many on the
opposite bank. You would have sup