The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-05-06
ANOTHER PAUL REVERE.
LUCKY" BALDwiN'S WILD RIDE
ON A BUFFALO.
Marvellous Escape From a Strange and
Dangerous Predlcainent = Five
Miles with Herd OF
stampeding Bison.


great hotel bearing his name, and
much more, has had some close calls
in hunting. In forty years of exper-
fence, largely ON the Pacific coast,
but extending to India, China and
other countries of the distant occi-
dent, he has hunted everything
from ptarmigan to lions and tigers,
according to the San Francisco Ex-
aminer.
well, now" said the millionaire,
al never told that story but once or
twice to anybody, and then came
pretty near having trouble. It's so
big story, but at the same time
strictly true, that people won't be-
lieve it. They think it is lie. so
for that reason, except on one or two
occasions to friends. l have never
mentioned it. But I'll tell it, anyhow,
and take chances on their believing
1t. Ii anybody disputes it I'll put up
money to prove it.
lin April. 1852, / had left my old
home In La Crosse, Wis, and was
pound West on an emigrant train for
California. 1t was my first trip We
left the Missouri river on the lst of
May. and by the latter part of the
month had reached the Laramie
plains, below Fort Bridger.
lin those days the whole country
swarmed with buffalocs. There were
millions of them. For days every
where you looked you could see buff
faloes. We hunted them good deal
and killed many. Bands upon bands
were nearly always in sight, and all
we had to do was to saddle our horses
and be away after them to, get all we
wanted
when we had arrived at the Lar
annie plains we were out of meat.
Buffaloes We're unusually plenty and
a lot of us concluded we would set
out after them. had the best horse
and l had got in ahead Of a tremen-
dous band, and was riding alongside
when l saw magnificent two-year-
old calf that suited me exactly.
ale was as fat as butter on the
new spring grass. | blazed away at
him with my rifle, but the trigger
didn't work right, so i threw away
my gun. and. drawing my revolver.
poured two or three shots into him.
1.-The calf fell down, and. without
thinking, l leaped from my horse and
left him standing, to cut its throat.
drew my knife and had just plunged
it into the calf when. looking up, a
horde of buffaloes were upon me. My
horse was frightened and swept away.
death stared me in the face.
was to be tramped upon and crushed.
No shot from my revolver, not even .
fusillade, could turn the thousands OF
scared buffaloes from their course.
The myriads behind would press the
others forward.
'.In an instant their hot breath OPP
pressed me, amidst the thunder OF
their feet. A gigantic bull was almost
on ME. l watched his every move
meDt. and thought dawned on me.
just as he reached me with his big
horns down and his eyes glazing ]
slipped aside, buried my hands in
his shaggy name, and leaped upon
his back.
The buffalo ran as only such an
animal can run. Before me were
thousands upon thousands. 70 my
right and to my left were myriads.
and in my rear was a following flood
OF them further than the eye could
reach. O.,
..How / escaped their horns, even
after got on the bulls back. and
through the mad ride do not KIN ow.
They cracked and ratified all around
me. Their snorting sounded. with
the clash of their sharp horns, like
the war of battlefield.
''My hat came off and lost it, for
had enough to do to hold on TO my
strange steed, who was all the time
going in the mad phalanx like a
house afire. | must have ridden him
in this way for at least five miles.
My companions were all long since
obscured from view. What my
thoughts were no one can imagine.
kept figuring how | could get off
and out Of the midst of the great
band.
FINALLY we came to little creek
which the buffaloes had to ford. BY
this time my buffalo had begun to
get tired carrying me, and he had got
pretty we'll to the rear. just as he
got to the edge of the creek got be.
hind and slipped OF and he plunged in
and went on.
"My hat l never got 1t took a
good deal of searching to secure my
horse, and as long as / was in the
train never heard the last of my
buffalo ride. Some OF them made
some pictures and caricatured me
riding on the shaggy beast, and they
had lot of fun out of 1t for a long
time.
The ride, strange and dangerous
as 1t was, didn't hurt me any. At
that time was but twenty-three years
old. and l was exceedingly strong and
supple, and could do most anything.
.sNAty 4 thara xytl h..