The record-union., 1894-07-16
A BUFFALO'S BACK.
The Wild Ride of a Pioneer in the
Black Hills.
oyertaken by stampeded Herd His
Only Escape Was to Ride in
Their Midst

Captain Russell is one of the Black
Hills pioneers. and in the country where
he is known no man would think OF
sneering at what he said. In talk to a
Chicago Herald reporter he related many
singular occurrences, but none like the
ride of n. L. Witcher of Sturgis, S. d.,
which Witcher had on the back of a
buffalo in lS49 Here it is. minus, of
course, the interesting manner which
Captain Russell impaired to it:
1T was the summer of 1919. y lot of
Californians were in camp on the North
Platte, in the vicinity OF Chimney Rock,
which is a landmark now of former times.
The Californians concluded they would
like some buffalo steak out Of herd they
saw grazing in the distance. 1t was no
uncommon sight in those days. But you
won't see it any more. No more buffalo,
and never will be again. Somebody
thought differently once, but there won't
be any more buffalo. The party | men,
toned started out 10 run down one OF the
berd. Witcher took the north side OF the
herd, and his friends came up on the south
and west sides. That stampeded the herd,
for the boys had fired on the buffalo.
who was on horseback. lie saw them
coming and he knew they wouldn't turn
aside tor him. He had seen them run
before In spite Of the speed OF his horse
he was soon overtak en-. He saw the herd
gaining on him, and he began thinking.
he had been in many an Indian skirnlisn,
and l reckon man has 10 think as quick
ly IN a time like that as he ever does in this
life. Wltcher had his mind made up
what to do by the time he was overtaken,
provided he wasn't Irampled to death be-
fore he could do it.
The foremost of the herd, and old
bull, came upon him and gored his horse
to death almost instantly. Wi.cher was
an athlete and was quick as cat. He
leaped upon the back of the buffalo and
grasped his shaggy name with both
hands. That only accelerated the speed
OF the buffalo. Witcher realized that he
had saved himself for the time being.
But he heard the snorting, believing, in
furiated stampede behind him. His ami
NAL might be run down, or he might lose
his grip and fall be trampled under hum
dreds OF feet al any moment. Pandemoni-
um on foot was gaining on him. He had
TO do some more quick thinking. He
knew his only solution was for his buffalo
10 fall back TO the rear. And This is how
he did it.
He had a long knife, such as the 49ers
carried in those days. He managed to
get it out. and hanging on for life with
one hand, he reached with his knife one
side of the neck of the buffalo and slashed
into it. The animal leaped like a mad
dened devil at the thrust of the knife.
Witcher hung on like flea on country
dog. Quicker than it takes to tell it he
changed the knife to the other hand and
made slit on the other side of the ami
mails neck. The blood spurted from both
sides and stained the ground over which
Witcher was going at a rate that was too
much for his comfort. But very soon the
animal commenced TO weaken.
slowly he began to fall back, and
finally all the others had passed him in
the race in which he had had the send-off.
The animal fell and Witcher Jumped
from the back of the buffalo which had
saved his life. Under any other circum-
stances to have killed that which had
saved him would not have been like
Witcher. But this was case where it
admitted of no sorrow. A man would
kill dozen buffalo in those days to save
his own life."