Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-12-09
DUEL OF GREAT ELKS.
THE TROPHY SECURED IN AN Old
TIME HUNT ON THE PLAINS.
STORY OF The INTERLOCKED ANTLERS

Running

A Kipp Cfon.) letter to the New York
Sun says: Among the many interesting
things the sportsman may see in the
Smithsonian Institution at Washington
there IS a pair Of interlocked antlers of
enormous size, which instantly arrests
ones attention. So firmly are they inter
sprung that the antlers cannot be sepa-
rated except by breaking one or the other
set. They give one an idea Of the i'm
mense force and deadly hate which
brought the wearers Of them together,
never to be separated again, even in
death. The writer was one Of the little
party Of hunters and trappers who found
them, and, after passing through several
hands, they were finally lent 10 the
Smithsonian by their present owner, a
naturalist Of worldwide fame.
There was much more fun than work
in the Indian trade, yet one can get too
much of any good thing. When the hunt
ers employed by the factor returned from
a hunt, loaded down with dark, deep
furred buffalo hides, skins Of antelope.
elk. and deer, pelts of beaver and the
wolf, and told of the glorious time they
had had on the prairie and along the foot
hills of the mountains, the confines Of
the fort and the trade-roOm would be-
come hateful 10 me, and / would long to
get away for d time and join these hunt
ers in their wild, free lie.
1t was along in NOyember-I hate to
think how many years ago-that my OPP
pOrtunity came. All the Indians were
following the buffalo, anxious TO get 4
big supply of robes before the glazing
light OF winter could bleach the glossy
brown fur and trade was slack. The
factor gave me permission 10 accompany
the hunters going out that day, with the
understanding that / should return IN
two weeks, whether they did or not;
also, he kindly offered me the use Of
his horse known lar and wide as the
best buffalo runner in the country
lost no time in saddling the horse, and
throwing my roll OF bedding into the
wagon we were of. The party consisted
Of Ely Guardipee, the leader; John Hud-
son, an English half-breed. and Night
gun, a civilized Blackfoot indian. Each
OF them was accompanied by his wO-
man, and we were all TO camp together
in a large tepee or lodge. our means Of
transportation consisted Of two heavy
wagons, each drawn by four horses. and
a large band of saddle and pack animals.
which Night-gun and / l. rded along in
the trail Of the wagons.
The Blackfeet, Blood, and Cree Indians
were all hunting south of the Missouri
at that time, so we crossed the river on
the ice in front of the fort. and, climbing
The long incline TO the high prairie
struck out toward the east end Of the
Little Rocky Mountains, intending TO
camp along the various small streams
which flow from them into the Missouri
At that time the whole country north Of
the river was an Indian reservation, and
the particular part of il We We're invading
was owned by the Assiniboins, as mean
and treacherous a band Of cut-throats IA
ever lived; but we had learned that they
were tar TO the north. hunting in the vi
cinity of the Diyidef Hills, and hoped
they would not discover our camp.
We stopped for the night on a little
wllow-fringed stream, and while the men
cared for the horses the women put up
the lodge, built fire Of buffalo chips, and
prepared the evening meal. II had been
q cloudy raw day. and We were glad 10
get within the shelter OF the warm lodge.
stretch ourselves out on our beds, and
smoke and rest. After eating We felt
better, and as II was still an hour or
more before shutdown We concluded 10
make a little trip OF discovery. John and
Ely went out on the prairie on horseback,
and Night-gun and /, carrying bunch
OF traps and our rifles, strolled up the
creek I'm search OF beaver. We soon
found where a colony had laid I'm their
winter store OF willows, and we set five
traps by chopping holes through the ice
and placing the traps OF the entrance OF
the holes In the bank. BY the time we
had finished II was getting dark, and we