Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-01-13
RIDING A BUFFALO.



Twenty-dye yeArs ago. In the fall OF
1857. l was travelling on horseback
over the plains. my objective point be-
ing a small mining camp near where
the city OF Deadwood now stands.
had been on = prospecting tour two
hundred niles 20 the northwest, and
was yet about one hundred miles from
nv destination. when the adventure 1
Am about 10 relate occurred IL was
drszry November afternoon. and the
clouds threatened = heavy fall Of snow.
II was about two o'clock. and l was
making for an uninhabited hut If
teen miles away. where ! knew | could
fnd shelter for myself and horse for
the night
was riding along feeling perfectly
safe ia that wilderness when strange
SOUND broke upon my cara was not
Ions, IN doubt. however. for on glancing
baek aloar tho road I bcheld about
mile sway something fast approaching
That looked like a black cloud moving
rapidly along close TO the ground
Prom what I had heard knew at once
that I was being pursued by half
fzmishsd PACK OF black wolves, and
that II I could not reach the cabin my
self and horse would be torn to pieces
time in putting spurs to my horse for a
race 10 the death The animal caught
the alarm and needed no urging to
make him do his best For few miles
the brave horse did noble work and the
mereilcss pursuers failed to gain upon
u. bu: it soon became evident that the
horse could not keep up the gait and
that the wolves were sure to overtalSe
ms before we could arrive within five
miles OF the log hut.
On we went, but soon the speed Of
my horse began To slackcn, and the
wolves werc slowly closing the gap.
Nv mind was intensely busy with the
problem Of what was best TO be done
1t occurred To me that my only chance
was % abandon the faithful animal and
rush ahead on foot while the wolves
were devouring his carcass It was a
forlorn hope, bat there was no other
chance Of escape, and. like the drown
ing man. caught AZ the only straw
held out 10 me
My horse sank down on the roadside
as soon as / ceased TO spur him for
ward. and dashed along on foot. See
Ing that my two pistols were ready for
uso. When the wolves reached my
horse shay bounced upon him. IS had
anticipated. and snapped and snarled
and fought like demons over the
CHOICEST portions of their feast. While
they wsss TINS engaged gHined fully
= milo upon them But I knew they
would quickly be upon my trail again
Soon heard the omiuous sound that
had frst fixed my attention. and gazing
back over tho level plain saw the
pack IN full pursuit Knowing that
could not keep them from overtaking
ma. / slackencd my pace and gathered
strength for the life-and-death contest
that was inevitable. My idea was TO
Gre and kill two or three wolves at a
time and then rush forward as far as
possible while they were consuming
the bodies of the dead animals. l fired
rsvsdly At the foremost, and was lucky
enough 10 kill four IN rs many shots
Then rushed forward. and gained some
and again started in pursuit. Again
fired, and killed three or four. and
again ran for dear life. II was still
fully four miles TO tho louged-for hut,
and I began 10 feel that the contest
was too unequal. and that I might as
well give mp the struggle first as last.
The running fight was kept mp for a
mills or two more, when l was suddenly
relieved from all danger from the
wolves. but threatened by another
fully a. horrible. I had halted and
turned for the purpose Of fring another
fusiilade at my relentless enemies, wher
the whole pack suddenly stopped and
stood for folly q minute in q listening
attitude. Frorn the west came q sound
rese1n Sliag distant thunder. and great
clouds OF duss were rising not far away,
obzcuFinx the western view The
wolves appeared to thoroughly under
ssaod what caused the ouinous sound,
and clouds OF dust, for they gave one
frantic howl over being deprived Of
their expected prey. and then dartec
rnadlv away 70 the northwsrd Atfirs
I felt as Il had been delivered by the
hands Of a SPECIAL providence. but wa
not long ia discovering that | was still
in the greatest OF peril, aud had no
enc chance in thousand Of escaping {
terrible death That which caused thu
seeming distant thunder and clouds O
d-st v~na what was known IN the par
fance OF The plains as "a buffalo STAN
.-etEe.r No one has ever explainee
whatever caused herd now and ther
g become suddenly frightened and II
n'nsoss ono solid mass rush madiJ
nwev. never stopping until they wer'
cosrqietely worn out In those SIAM
petes the naddered animals woul'
keep up \ sncrtinr aud believing
srsatirx a scene that could DC com
car@d 81 nothing but pandemonipm
No living thing ever escaped beini
traupied irto shspeless mass ths
harpercd 20 be IN front q them. Evei
the wolves that followed me with sue
s~r--a pa-pcse understood the DANCE
re~feehi7 ~-eil
/ had given myself up for lost for
vas near the center line Of the sr
pr cschirr heTd. and Il would hav
been foliy fer re 20 have run forwar,
or backward With the hope Of gettinl
cas 81 their way. On they came. iiio
ne hrxe waves cf IA angry sea. and
although fsiiv appreciated The Tres