Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-08-09

fourth day the masters Of the hunt sent
out runners, who returned the day fol-
lowing with buffalo meat.
THAT night we spent in busy pre-
paration for the next days hunt. Ev-
cry buck took a fresh horse, and when
morning dawned we were in the saddle
and on the move. 1t was rolling prai-
rie country, and along about II o'clock
we sighted an enormous herd of buffalo,
feeding along the top Of plateau. We
rode around the base Of this rising
ground, sending every now and then
some one to the top to glance over and
see how near we were drawing to the
herd. At last we circled around until
we were quite close to them when one
of the hunt masters gave a short, quick
order that brought the column up
abreast, in which fashion we rode to
the top of the rise and in full view
of the animals.
"As we did so, could see one buffalo
after another throw up his head, look
about until he saw our party, and set
off at a slow, rolling gallop. This,
however, was only for an instant, for
as we drew up to the crest Of the rise
the order that all were eager for and
expecting rang out simultaneously from
both hunt masters and away the whole
column charged at full speed on the
buffalo, shooting them down on every
side. 1 rode on with the rest, doing
my share Of the shooting, for a mile or
so, when, firing of the sport I turned
back.
ION my way back to camp I met the
squaws skinning and cutting up the
animals that the males had killed and
which were lying about everywhere.
We remained among the buffalo for
two weeks, before we thought Of re-
turning, killing in all total Of 1000
animals. One of the curious things
that 1 saw on this trip was an old buff
falo with a defor1ned right front hoof,
that one Of the Indians had killed. He
had been shot and wounded in this hoof
when he was quite young, and one side
of the cloven hoof had grown in cir
Gle completely around the other to the
length of fully a foot and several
inches.
when we were about ready to re-
turn the squaws began loading the
meat on the ponies, and I was sur
prised to see what an enormous load
these hardy little animals could carry.
1t seemed to me that they would load
the meat of one buffalo on these po-
nies, a weight of fully 400 or 500
pounds I have seen these ponies load
ed so heavily that they had to stand
braced with their legs standing out
like a tripod in order to support the
frightful burden imposed by their un-
feeling masters. Then on top of this
load some Indian would climb to ride
back to the reservation.
when we got back to the agency
the squaws set about cutting the meat
up into long thin strips and drying 1t
for future use. The indians also held
Dig IedSl Ol lTeSIl Iledl, 6oi 6m6
themselves for days on juicy steaks
and tongues. I undertook to follow
the Indian custom on such occasions Of
going from one tepee to another, eat
ing some meat in each, but had to quit
after visiting three places. The endur-
ance Of the Indian ponies in travelling
long distances under heavy loads was
as surprising as the storage capacity
Of their masters when 1t came to a
feast Of buffalo meat.
THAT, 80 far as I have been able to
learn, was the last great buffalo hunt
ever held in the United States. The
Pacific railroads and the rapid settle
ment Of the west so reduced the herds
that after 1878 the number Of buffalo
in the west was very small, indeed. 1t
was the last buffalo hunt ever taken
by the Cheyennes and Arapahoes. for
although they sent out scouts the year
following, they returned with word
that the number of animals they found
were not worth going after. wash
ington Post.