The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-08
roosrrrLr y ZEE 11sr nUrrAEo.
Hts Great Hunting Feat in Early Dakota
Dnya and Its Eject Upon His NeiRhbor.

Hts Great Hunting Feat in Early Dakota
Days and ITS Eject Upon His Neighbor.
Did you ever hear how Col. Roosevelt killed
the last buffalo. lone remaining relic OF the
thousands:whioh foremrly roamed the plains
OF Dakota and Montana2 Tho memory Of IL
remains in Medora. the uniduely tough town
on the Little Missouri, TO this day. It's one OF
the few stories In which the laugh Ia against
the Colonel.
In those days Col. Roosevelt and the writer.
but recently out-of Harvard. had been at
tracted to the wild West by its newness. and
had ranges not far from each o%ther-only q
matter OF thirty miles or so. and that's no dis
tanoe at all In Montana and Dakota.
Roosevelt had established q cattle ranch,
and was already on good terms with the cow
boys for miles around. He had demonstrated
his prowess as a bronco rider. He had
shown that with the rife he was as good as
any Of them. and when at last he made known
his desire to add the head OF a buffalo shot
by himself to his list OF trophies. there wasn't
q cowboy on the place who wasn't moro than
ready to aid him in gratifying his wish. But
there was one rather ugly obstacle in the
way, and that was the fact that there were no
buffalo in the country. Only the year before.
that. lie TO say. In the fall Of 1882. there were
buffalo galore. but the hide hunters had
killed them all of by the beginning Of 1883.
Thu co wboys. when they give their collective
minds tor thing. however, are not very easily
daunted. They were not on this occasion.
One OF them bethought himself that twenty
miles to the southwark was the ranch OF Bid
die & Billings: that Billings had captured:a
young bull buffalo the year before. and that,
half domesticated. the buffalo was accus-
toned to roam about a mile from the home
ranch.
The idea once suggested by ! cowboy to his
fellows met with unanimous approval. Why
not take Roosevelt down to the buffalo's range
in the gray dawn. let him shoot the buffalo,
and carry 1t back to the ranch on q blackboard
was STIRRING Roosevelt would be conSlnSed
that he he. had S,s shCt .s shS last buffalo on1st in the 9oan,
that the animal had strayed of. and every,
thing would be. lovely. The morality OF the
plan. or. rather, its lack Of II, never occurred to
that wToSfanni't have been allowed ali: ait to interfere.
SO one fine day a cowboy came riding up to
Roosevelt would be there. With APPARENT mes se eTe
eitement he announced that while looking for
coulee twenty miles to the southward and tina
1t could surely be stalked at daylight the next
pporningi Roosevelt was on fire IN a momespt.
blackboard to haul the carcass home. should
the hunt prove successful, was sent on at once,
and there was joy in the cowboys quarters.
Before daybreak the start was made. Just
dismount ed 'f Roosevelt Welt and aGSYt the c cow sa9 ePa aiE4s
crept carefully Town into the rayine. There.
sure enough. 2 couple OF hundred yards away
tackled the Colonel then cannot be said. 1t
wouldn't be surprising il it had: Tho shot
was a long one. but the cowboy advised against
going any nearer for fear Of soaring the ami
NAL away. Long and carefully the anxious
and excited hunter took aim Then the re-
peating rife cracked and the buffalo was seen
to fall In its tracks.
hunting, knife as he ran the delighted marks
man. followed by the cowboy. ran 10 the car
eass. The bull vas dead as . door nail. The
magnificent head may be appreciated by every
sportsman; that OF the cowboys can only be
imagined. AZ once the carcass was packed
which marked the Biddle- BillinGs ranch in the
distance. the COWBOYS hastily Departed with
Billings had been intending to ride over to
see Roosevelt for some time about measures
TO be taken In common against cattle thieves.
About 8 O'Clock he appeared on the scene at
Roosevelt's home ranch Just as the mon were
skinning. the buffalo and cutting on some
recting operations as Billings rode up. Hard
ly bad greetings been exchanged when Roose-
welt with great pride took Billings oyer to
pardonable pride the story Of the hunt.
A queer look came, oyer BillinEs's face.
Lets see the head" he said....
welt, pointing to II, on a neighborinG bench.
may not be repeated Finally he Gained down
Why. blank, il. man. you might have seen
by my brand that 1t was my pet buffalo. You
might as we'll have shot one Of your own
He was finally pacifed. and Roosevelt got
the head. while the cowboys got something
else. that was hot enough even II Il wasn't Bad
lands whiskey. which they had Hoped for as a