Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-08-17
A FIGHT FOR LIFE,

suddenly led down into the magnifi-
cent ravine in which the Pipestone
creek wends its sluggish way toward
the Quappelle river through numer-
Gus cranberry Swamps and muskegs.
1T was the nastiest scrape | ever
got into. and I'm going to tell you
all about it,
settled myself comfortably in the
wagon seat for a good story. for l
knew THAI Jonathan in his young
days had been an old buffalo hunter
and could tell many a good anecdote
if he would only allow himself to be
drawn out
"Twas about fifty years ago said
he, when these prairies were as
wild as nature made them add buffalo
were as thick rs mice in a barn. that
l first came ouJ here TO hunt and trap
for the Hudson Bay CON- any. In the
East there were few could beat me
as hunter, but up to that time l
didn't know much about the Western
big game. Well. | soon found the
favorite breeding ground of the buff
falo, and that was right around this
neighborhood. Many a hundred have
! shot within five miles of this spot,
but although l have had many mar
row squeaks for my life. only once
came near getting frightened to
death, and it happened right here.
Il hadn't exactly been hunting that
day, still / had my rifle with me. l
carried it partly from habit, you see,
and also for the very best of reasons
that ] didn't have any better place
to leave it. In those days there
weren't many Of us hunters had any
very special homes in the West, and
when the weather was warm and
clear we frequently made long trips,
camping just where we found our
selves at sunset.
''Well, it was getting dusky on
that particular evening, so when l
came to the creek here, thinks to
myself, I'll stay right here; so after
lettering the horse, l stretched out
on the ground 10 enjoy my pipe.
"After lying perhaps an hour l
was suddenly startled by a peculiar
rumbling noise-it sounded like an
underground disturbance. l tried to
think my fancy had deceived me, but
it kept getting louder and louder, so
finally | determined to go and look
around.
Il clambered up that bank as fast
as / could, noticing that as | neared
the top the rumbling sound grew
more and more distinct, but strange
to say, / never for a moment suspect
ed the danger.
We'll, when l at length reached
the brow of the hill and looked over,
the sight that mot A., oJt1 KY
froze the blood in my veins.
"A living prairie of painting, strug-
CLING buffaloes. and the whole herd
under full steam, stampeding and
heading straight for me.
my heart just jumped fairly into
my mouth, for they wern't more than
a quarter of q mile away. but it
wasn't any time to stand thinking,
so l just turned down that ravine
faster than l could run-it would kill
Q man to do 1t in cold blood. but l
knew \ had to reach my horse or lose
my life. u
las heared the horse he plunged
: and tore at the rope as though he
were crazy, and it was evident that
he had scented the danger.
Il had got to within twenty yards
of him, when he made q frantic
plunge, snapped the rope. and away
he went ! turned in despair just as
the first buffaloes reached the brow
of the hill, but | knew how useless it
| no 70 NIT
think, however, that | would have
fought it out had l not thought of
the muskeg which commenced about
forty yards from where | stood;
l knew that though l might get a
little way upon the quaking mass by
being very careful, still it would be
mighty poor footing for stamped
ing herd of buffalo. There wasn't a
moment to lose, so | headed for it as
hard as | could run, but short as the
distance was, / realized that il
would be close race between myself
and the frightened brutes already
surging down the steep bluff. heed
less OF anything except fight
just as / reached the edge of the
morass the living wave b. oke upor
the bottom of the ravine, causing the
quaking ground to undulate in long
swells which very nearly threw me
headlong INTO the muddy water.
II recovered myself, however. and
making a desperate spring, landed
upon one of those small moss island:
which float here and there upon the
surface of the quagmire. One more
leap and had reached my limit
could get no further. for there was
not another island within twenty feet
, al turned and faced the snorting
foam-fecked mass OF maddened buf
faloes.
lone glance showed me that only
the extreme left of the herd would
face the swamp-the great mas
passing to the westward, still / knew
that | had not yet got out of the
Il ccrana