Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-03-09
A Buffalo Hunt.
By j. R. Sovereign.

A Buffalo Hunt.
By j. r.. Sovereign.
In the shades of an autumn evening
in 1870, while filling the high posit-
ion of a lonely buffalo hunter in
Western Kansas, weary and footsore
l found myself seated in a little clump
of blackberry and walnut trees on the
headwaters of Spillman Creek, neal
the base of the Blue Hills. The near.
est human habltation was many miles
away. My only companions consisted
of trusty needle gun, an army Colts
revolver, and a large hunting knife.
My only food comprised chunk oil
fresh buffalo meat and a little salt
which had scraped up at distant
salt pan more than a week before and
which was more alkali than salt. The
overcast sky and the humid atmos-
phere were portentious of an APP
preaching storm. Altogether it was a
lonely, dreary place for one SO young
as I. With the gloom of the night
closing in upon me and the roar OF
distant thunder rumbling over the
hills and across the plains to the west
ward I felt quite miserable. Not even
a friendly dog to share my lonesome
ness. longed for seat at the fire.
side of a friendly home. wished
that the life of my grandfather, who
raised me from infancy, had been
spared few more years so that !
would not have been thrown out a
wanderer in the journey of life a
mere youth of sixteen summers. But
why should with my romantic ma
ture cringe before the approaching
night or cover before the threatening
storm? 1t was not my first experience
on the range. | had spent many
months on hills and plains seldom
trod by Caucasian feet, and where
civilization had never kissed the sod
To me the sight of Indians had lost
its terror and the midnight howl OF
hungry wolves had become a pleas
ure and pastime.
was really more tired than melan.
choly for that day l had hunted &C
cross the divide from the Wolf Greek
bottoms and on the way had encoun-
tered great herds of buffalo and
large bands of elk with antelope in
every direction. I had forgotten my.
self in the excitement of the days
hunt until approaching night crowd
ed from my mind the wild scenes OF
the day, and by natural instinct di.
rected me to the timber on Spillmau
for shelter.
I arose from my sitting position anG
busted myself by collecting faller
wood for a nights campfire. Then
removed large tin cup from hunt
ing sack and pressed my way through
a dense thicket to the creek, where
secured good supply of bad water
and returned to the place l had Sc
lected for a nights rest.
After roasting my buffalo meat by
holding it over the fire with two fork
ed sticks and eatiug a part of it will
great relish, l begain cleaning my CUR
preparatory for the next days hunt
and felt rejoiced that the threaten
ing rain had passed 30 the south O
me, although the sky was heavily
clouded and the wind was laslling tn,
tree tops with considerable fury. NJ
sooner was the gun cleaned and vel
loaded for any emergency than
grew sleepy, and after replenishine
my fire with a good supply Of wood
sought that repose which brings res
to the weary hunter after a day o
of excitement and fatigue.
With my faithful gun at my side
had just closed my eyes in sleep wher
a pitiful sound fell upon my ear. l
startled me. There was the accent o
human distress in it. In an instant
was on my feet, with gun in hand
Surely" said to myself, II wa
dreaming, but never dreamed lik
that BEFORE" The next instant tn
sound came again, and seemed n,
more than one hundred feet out ii
thicket from where I was standing
'My God, it is babe! I will dasl
through the jungle to where it is
But how can babe be there? 1t j
at least twenty-five miles down tn
Spillman to Harry Trask's dugout
and surely babe could not wande
SO far from nearest habitation. Blu
it is a babe, and some murderous out
law may be using it for decoy t
allure me into snare. I will nc
stand in the glare of this campfir
and thus expose myself as an ope
target for the bullets of some COW
ardly murderer"
Such were the thoughts which fasl
ed through my mind in rapid SUI
cession. I was about to retreat b.
hind nearby tree and prepare t
contest my right with any cunnin
invader. Then l heared cracklin
and rustling among the bushes an
another cry. But this time it sount
| ed like a wall of despair from a grie