The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-04-11
TFo DAYS IN A BUFFALO HERD.

|
TWO DAYS IN A BUFF1Io HERD
-
Horse ana Rider swept AionE In the wild
stampede or nm Immense Herd.
at was n ride I ueyer meant tn tahe. Won maj
be sure. and one 1 should never caro- to TAKE
again." said Hank Marsten. n oettleman from
Montana. "For two DAYS and NIGHTS I was
among tho buffalo. as belplesa TO get awnv as n
chin might be afoat In Niagara. II was In 1893
the year of tho close OF the civil war. I was hivb
private In the Second Kansas Cavalry. and. in.
stoad of being mustered out at the close of the
struggle. our regiment was ordered to the
column sent out against tho Arapaboes and
Southern Chcyennes. who had been playing hob
on tho plains while our hands were tied
up fighting the Johnny Rebs. This kind
of campaiqpipp was not new TO Kansans.
for whom alksli water md dusty plains had no
terrors. We passed through N country where
| there was the finest antelope and buffalo hunt
ing, and we took such advantage of our oppor-
tunities that IL was an uplucky day when the
hunters didn't bring in meat enough to supply
the entire mma No sane man could posi-
~. .a..,.... -... ~ ~.
Oily dream OF descrtine In a country IKE that'
so much liberty was given us; IL was not neces-
a".: . -. ~ % -
II hh"h nv ohooo W oohe u coupio VI oays
rations in ms hsvSrSask and put out on the
soorch ~ breo,o or o,to,ono n.rhons =, ho aon,
search OF ounaio or antelope, perhaps 10 DC gone
"Threc of us, Tom Packard. Ed Farnsworth,
and mrse,f started ont ono morn;ne With two
days rations in our haversacks for a hunt,
shaping our course 10 the right of the line of
march. We killed two antelope the first day,
but 1t was not until the morning Of the second
day that we sighted buffalo. But when we did
there were nuhaio. and no mistake. 1t was the
big southern herd feeding northward from the
nra,r;o was hiao,, Itch hmTo,o pon Iau ~
prairie was niack win ounaio as iar as
Of thousands Of tho heavy sbon,dered. sbsegy
ns's eott,s oFo oD , T Isrm p %i.h ing h as peacefully s,oesiny
guard on the outskirts ALL around IN keen oY the
wolves u that were sne al h,UNp about 20 AV the On be eps
watching for a chance to snap up a stray calf.
lore VIC got oo"h 10 work. Our spencer carolnes
did not carry far enough to stalk tho buffalo at
long range. We had to ride in on them. and.
each man picking out the ouhalo ne wanted TO
kill, we gave our horses free rein and the spur.
1T was q half minute or so before the buffalo
seemed to get II into their heads that we were
nearest ones turned and ran, and this gave the
so the panic spread through the herd like the
tipping down OF a row OF bricks. and in a minute
or more the whole herd was in motion. Farms
worth and Packard each got the buffalo he went
for and they bagged two more besides. But the
one / seiected-it was n fat young cow
well that by the time 1 was alongside
her the buffalo were all around me, every one
c carnt1s for r01 @na ae" sto saa in 1a' the IN W snS ar fh sps
WAS only one thing to do. and that was to go
shoulder Gron DEEM that so l d iTop e Sh her. IN a neaif then 1h9 let soM ms
horse take his head. He was carried away,
took US further into the herd, until the buffalo
got so thick about us that he could not force
hours there was nothing but dust and noise,
with buffalo on every side as far as l could see
ing, every one trying to get ahead Of the others.
My horse was jammed and tossed about by the
buffalo, but he kept his footing and went along
trils, and the sound Of the hoof beats was some
thing frightful.
on through the night. 1t was not unfit morning
that the buffalo slowed up and beepn tN scatter
among them, but before I had cot 10y wav r out
my motion alarmed them and they stampeded
long as they saw me AMONG them they were
away AWAY from them: They carried me along wit6
had slowed to a walk, they did not stop until
darkness fell again, Sometimes We would come
as the buffalo Off to left or right went heels over
head down to the bottom over tho edge Bnt |
by good luck the part of the herd where 1 was
struck a place every time where we could get
across. About 10 o'clock in tho night the bif.
fnlo halted once more and began to scatter and
feed. 4. good good many of them Law down aa
II they were tired out with travelling and
wanted no more OF ii. l started again 10 get
clear of them, and this time. by working care
and avoiding every motion that might alarm
them, l got to tho edge Of the herd }ust a. the |
sky was growing light I'm the east.
when felt that / was far enough beyond
the main herd to be safe against another STAN.
caused no stampede or sign OF alarm among the
NV Ihose nearcst the DUH only moved away O