The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-06-16

His Companions and Carried For Many
Miles Across the Plains by Frightened
Buffaloes.
at was in 1865, the year of the close OF
the civil war, said Hank Marsten, Mon
tana cattleman. II was high private in
the Second Kansas cavalry, and instead of
being mustered out at the close of the
struggle, our regiment was ordered 10 the
column sent out against the Arapahoes
and southern Cheyennes, who had been
playing hob on the plains while our hands
were tied up fighting the Johnny Rebs.
This kind OF campaigning was not new to
Eansans for whom alkali water and dusty
plains had no terrors We passed through
country where there was the finest ante
lope and buffalo hunting, and we took such
advantage of our opportunities that 10 was
an unlucky day when the hunters didn {
bring in meat enough TO supply the entire
command,
Three of us, Tom Packard, Ed Farms
worth and myself, started out one morn
ing with two days rations In our hayer-
sacks for n hunt, shaping our course to the
right of the line of march. We killed wo
antelopes the first day, but II was not until
the morning of the second day that we
sighted buffaloes. But when we did there
were buffaloes, and no mistake. It was the
big southern herd feeding northward from
the Texas plains that we had come upon,
and the prairie was black with buffaloes as
far as the eye could reach.
Thousands and tens of thousands Of
the heavy shouldered, shaggy necked
brutes were pasturing as peacefully as cat
tie on a farm, with the bulls standing
guard on the outskirts all around to keep
of the wolves that were sneaking about
the herd watching for chance to snap
up stray calf We staid to look at the
scene for awhile before we got down to
work. Our spencer carbines did not carry
far enough to stalk the buffaloes at long
range. We had to ride in on them, and,
each man picking out the buffalo he want
ed to kill we gave our horses free rein
and the spur, and rode at the herd.
ut was half minute or so before the
buffaloes seemed to get it into their heads
that wo were coming and make up their
minds what to do, and by that time we
were among them. Then the nearest ones
turned and ran, and this gave the alarm
TO those beyond them, and they ran too.
So the panic spread through the herd like
the tipping down Of row of bricks, and
in motion. Farnsworth and Packard each
got the buffalo he went for, and they bag
ged two more besides But the one Sc
lected-it was a fat young cow-was SO
far in the herd and ran so we'll that by
the time was alongside her the buffaloes
were all around me, every one running
head down and tail in the air, not caring
for what stood in the way. There was
only one thing TO do, and that was to go
with them. So l sent "a shot in behind the
cows shoulder that dropped her, and then
let my horse take his head He was car
ried away, as a horse is apt to be, by the
excitement of the stampede, and tried to
run away. This took us farther into the
herd, until the buffalocs got so thick about
us that he could not force his way among
them. After that for hours and hours
there was nothing but dust and noise,
with buffaloes on every side as far as could
see through the smother crowding, jos.
Ting, pushing, every one trying TO get
ahead of the others My horse was damned
and tossed about by the bufTaloes, but he
kept his footing and went along with the
rest. The dust filled my eyes and nostrils
Darkness came, and still the stampede !
went on through the night 1t was not |
until morning that the buffaloes slowed up !
and began TO scatter and feed | tried then !
TO work my way out from among them /
but before | had got half way out my mo
ton alarmed them and they stampeded |
again. There was no stopping the thing; |
so long as they saw me among them they |
were bound TO stampede and there was no |
getting away from them. They carried me |
along with them that day, and, although /
now their pace had slowed to a walk, /
they did not stop until darkness fell again. !
Sometimes we would come TO gulch and |
could hear the humping sound as the |
buffaloes off to left or right went heels over
head down to the bottom over the edge. !
But by good luck the part of the herd |
where was struck place every time where
we could get across. About 10 clock in
the night the buffaloes halted once more
and began TO scatter and feed. A good many
of them lay down, as if they were tired out
with travelling and wanted no more of it.
started again to get clear of them, and
this time, by working carefully along let
ting my horse feed as he went and avoid.
ing every motion that might alarm them
j got TO the edge Of the herd just as the
sky was growing light in the east
when l felt that | was far enough be.
yond the main herd TO be safe against an.
othef stampede shot young bull. |
Strange to say, this caused no stampede or
sign of alarm among the buffaloes They
had had enough of stampeding, and those
nearest the bull only moved away a few
steps at the report of my carbine, and then
lay down or went on feeding. 1t was not
only that they were tired, but they had got
used to my presence, and have no doubt
that my horse and / could have kept with
them as long as we chose without throw
ing them into stampede again
Il took the buffalo's tongue and cut
from his loin, and then set out to find wa.
ter, leading my horse; for he was too badly
played out for me to ride him after all we
had been through. i struck spring i'm
the course of an hour, and water was good
for US about that time. After my horse
and / had drunk oil it was safe to drink at
the time, washed the dust from my eyes
and face, picketed my horse out to feed and
cooked about six pounds of steak tor my
breakfast. Then dropped down In my
tracks and slept till nightfall ! got my
bearings by the stars and set out to find
our command. ] knew the direction they
Would take and how far they could march
In day. and ] hit it so well that was in |