The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-09-21
one, a I'd the Gov dire pped to tho ground

| The mule hung back, but, by judi.
cious amount of coaxing and pulling
Cheney managed to get him to ap-
proach near enough to the dead COW to
allow him to bleed her.
Then he again mounted his ungain.
" beast and hurried on in pursuit OF
| the herd.
| He could hear the shots and half
savage yells of the hunters, and spurred
| the mule to his utmost speed.
The hindmost buffaloes were strug-
Cling desperately to advance, but the
contagion of fright had evidently not
spread to the extreme limits of the
herd, and they got on slowly. After
considerable hard riding, Cheney again
cine up to them.
The nearest buffalo was huge bull.
he rode up to the old fellows side and
fired. The bull dropped almost at the
crack of his gun.
But Cheney had shot too high, the
ball tearing through the heavy sinews
that run along the backbone.
This has the effect Of stunning the
animal, but it RECEIVERS in very short
time.
He now began to plume himself on his
ability as shot, and once more dis
mounted and advanced toward the pros
trate buffalo, knife an hand.
AS he neared it, to his great surprise
it staggered to its feet, and, with head
lowered, dashed full at him.
He knew how terribly dangerous are
buffalo's horns, and at once became
panic-stricken and turned to run.
The mule jerked the bride from his
hand and started ct mad pace over
the prairie.
Cheney bounded forward like an ath-
lete, but the angry bull speedily over
took him, and tossed him high into the
air He fell heavily, and knew he was
badly injured. When he looked about,
the buffalo was standing a short dis
lance away, eying him savagely. See
ing him move, it again lowered it's head
and came at him.
He was still shaking like a leaf with
fright and pain, but he managed to get
another cartridge into the barrel of his
carbine and fire before the brute was
on him.
The ball struck him just under the
neck, and the great animal fell dead al
most at his feet.
Peters injuries were very painful, and
he found that he had one leg broken and
the flesh torn from the other halfway
L. he
The other hunters were still pursuing
the now thoroughly frightened herd,
which was leading them farther and
farther away.
Cheney was man of iron will, and al
though the pain was almost unendur-
able, he placed his broken limb in posi-
ton, and bound it up with strips torn
from his shirt He did the same with
the other, and then fell back exhausted
from loss Of blood.
How, long he lay there he scarcely
knew, but he was aroused by the sound
of voices. The speakers were out of
sight behind little ridge, but they
were evidently coming nearer.
At first he thought it his comrades
returning. After listening intently, he
YVES convinced it was Indians.
lie feared they might be unfriendly,
and il would not do to fall into their
hands. He was at loss how to escape.
Casting about, he saw large "butfa-
10 wal.ow," or sink, filled with coarse
grass. 1t offered the only hiding place,
and he commenced crawling toward it,
dragging his gun after him.
Every movement was attended with
the greatest pain, but after what
seemed an interminable time, he
reached the "wallow" and concealed
himself in the high grass. 1t was half
full of water. Into this he thrust his
fevered limbs, and found great relief.
He had scarcely accomplished this,
when the Indians came in sight over the
ridge. lie saw at once, from the abb
sence of paint and feathers, that it was
not a war-party. They were Pawnees,
and he concluded they were after buff
faloes.
He was somewhat acquainted with
the faWnee tongue, anu ndu dboul dS-
cided to reveal himself, when he was
arrested in his purpose by their words.
Heretofore he had not been able to un-
derstand their conversation.
They were talking of the outfit they
had seen in the valley. They knew some
of the freighters were out after butfa-
loes, but didn't know how many had
been left in charge of the wagons.
Cheney fiattened himself 10 the
ground and remained perfectly quiet.
He feared they would see the trail he
had made in crawling from the buffalo
to the sink, but they were so engrossed
in the discussion of the outfit that they
were not very watchful. Besides, il
never occurred 10 them that anyone
might be concealed in that little "buf
| falo wallow."
When they came toathe dead buffalo
they appeared considerably excited
They got off their ponies and one of the
party took them back over the ridge
and concealed them. Then they hiC
| themselves in the grass so adroitlN