The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-10-05
A WHITE BUFFALO ROBE.
jim cASPlON NEARLY LOST Ills
LIFE III GETTING THE PRIZE.

lie Killed tho Buffalo. One OF the Three
Seen Since ISOG-Thc Rare Animal
Was In Stampcdc-ThrilIinc In
cident or the Far Western Plains.
In living twenty years in the plains
country beyond the Missouri in the
time when herds of buffalo covered the
prairie L never saw a white buffalo. -
said Martin Wringshy, formerly a Kan
sas hunter and ranchmnn, in the New
York SIM. Blu. it is certain that
three skins at least of tlis rare animal
were IN existence at time subsequent
TO 1856. The one best known is the
stuffed skin Of the white buffalo COW
that stood in the museum of the State
House Mt Topeka, Kan, in 1881, aud
probably is still iii existence in care
of the State The second was carried
at his saddle by Roman Nose, the
Cheyenne chief, who led tho grand
charge against Captain Sandy" For
sythe's band Of scouts in the memora-
bic fight on the Arickaree branch of
the Republican River in 1857. in
which the chief wac killed. The third.
taken IN 1871, was for ten years in
possession of the hunter, James Cas-
pion, who killed the buffalo that origi-
nally wore it. or where it went after
he disposed of it, l have not the least
idea.
"Caspion was one of n party of three
hunters who with n wagon train and
saddle horses went. in October. 1871.
out on the plains of western Kansas to
hunt buffalo. On October L. Caspion.
with Sam Tiilman, started out on
horseback in the morning to look for
buffalo, leaving the third man to fol-
low along in the wagon. In order to
bring greater range of country into
view the two horsemen separated.
Keeping always in sight Of each other.
Late i'll the afternoon, riding up the
slope of q long ridge Of rolling prairie
aud looking over the crest Caspion saw
ahead OF him twenty-five miles away n
range OF steep bluffs. Between him
and the bluffs, the nearest buffalo
being within long rife rance, was the
great southern herd, which every sum-
mer fed nOrthwarl from Texas and
New Mexico, remaining in Kansas and
Colora 10 until the storms of winter
drove them to the south again. There
were tens Of thousands of the beasts
III view, rs Caspion said, but what
particularly caught his eye was n milk
white buffalo feeding among the others
at the distance of mile away, its
whlteness contrasting strau 9ely with
the dun tints of the beasts around il.
Having siSlalled to Tillman on the
ridge behind him to come up he dis
mounted and lay Watching the herd
over the summit, trying to think of
some way by which he aud his partner
could get possession OF the white
buifalo's skin. When at last he turned
round to look for Tilman it was t. see
him riding for life back over the route
they had come with fifty Cheyenne
warriors after him. The chase was n
short one. a shot crippled Tilman's
horse, end the Indians closed about
him. The hunter emptied two sad
dies before the firing stopped. Then
with Tiilm2n's scalp borne aloft on n
lance the Indians turned and came for
Caspion. He had to run for it, and rs
he could not ride to right or left with
out giving the Indians the advantage
OF being able to cut him off he ont his
horse ahead straight toward the buffalo
herds.
"Thi5 naturally started n stampede.
Caspion WAS we'll among the buffalo be-
fore the unwieldy beasts knew what had
happened aud got fairly 60 running.
Then his horse was carried away in the
rush, and the last thing the hunter
saw, before Che dust shut everything
from view, was the Indians coming
over the crest of the hill he hal lust
left. After this it was all crowdine.
iostling, and smother as his horse was
hurried along in the press, and after
darkness fell The buffalo still were
going At last he could tell by the
'ieeP OF the ground that they had come
to very rough and hilly Countrywide
bluffs in fact that he had seen in the
afternoon, The herd, unable to scale
tho bluffs, had to divide, most Of the
buffalo turning to the left, but some of
them following the valleys between the
eminencc. Caspion'a horse was forced
by the buffalo into one of these valleys
and carried along with the column that
crowded the narrow deflc. IT was
not 50 dusty there as it had been ca
the open plain, and presently whom
the valley widenel, letting in the light
OF the moon, he saw ahead OF him the
white buffalo. They came to n place
where deep rlvine worn by water,
cut close against the side OF the BLUM
The buffalo that were nearest the l'E.
side kept their footing. The others
were crowded or into the rayine. aud
Caspion could hear them falling TO the
bottom. His horse passed the place
safely, and as the valley widenei be-
yond ne took this chance to rein his
horse away from tho buffalo and got
from among them. Finding safe
nook among some great rocks, he
turned in there aud passed the rest Of
the night, with the buffalo pounding
past him for hours after he hal rolled
himself in his blanket.
''ln the morning light only two or
three struggling buffalo were to be seen
in the valley. But, looking over the
edge Of the raviue, Caspion saw scores
Of buffalo lying at the bottom killed or
too bally hurt 20 get away. Against
the bank was leaning the white buffa
10, young bull with its leg broken.
Tine hunter climbed down into the
VuIcb 4hot the bulI with he ,,i.t1