Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1903-07-15
EXCITING
ADVENTURE
S. 3. Gray Tells Of an Encounter With
an Enrased Buffalo Bull Near
Philbrok.
1T WAS A PRETTY CLOSE CALL
Expected Every Moment to be His
Last-Russel Made a Picture
Of the Fight.

The animal to which that was at.
tached gave me the closest call Of my
existence" said s. b. (Si.) Gray TO
the reporter, a. he pointed to a buf.
falo tail knife sheath which, with a
number of other relics of the hunt
adorn one of the walls of the bowling
alley on Janeaux street.
IL once killed a bear with a six.
pound hand axe, and have had a few
other experiences which caused my
hair to separate my hat and head, but
they all seem like most i~nnocuously
tame incidents when compared with
the time | was compelled 10 lie pros
trate and ~defenseless under my fallen
horse and feel the hot froth blown up-
on my face by an Infatuated bull buff
falo standing with his long horns
scarce two feet from my head.
1T happened In the spring of 80,
when | was living near Philbrook,
but a short way across from the place
now owned by s. s. Hobson. One
morning my cousin, Will Gray, and
myself noticed two large buffalo about
200 yards from the house and | decid-
eo to go after one of them. Going out
into the corral | roped a horse, taking
the first one that was handy, which
happened to be a little fo~ur.year-old
mare which had been half broken and
not trained at all to range riding. |
saddled her and started out after the
buffalo. which had now drifted some
ways down into a little coulee. had
a long needle gun, but decided that
the only way to get a shot was to
rush them, and, accordingly, | rode
slowly towards them until they saw
me and then put after them at full
speed. | wasn't long in getting in
range, but on account Of being on a
green horse | could not get a shot at
either of them. They finally separated
and | took after the larger one of the
two.
Il didn't care about making a
chance shot. as | had e some Of
the effects of a wounded buffalo bulls
rage when stung with a bullet, so
rode on, gradually closing up on him
until but a few yards separated us.
Now, 1t Is a curious thing about buff
falo that IL you will allow them to take
their natural running gait they can
keep 1t all day and without apparent
fatigue, but IL they are hurried beyond
that gait they soon tire and are ready
to fight. l had hustled that one along
at a pretty good rate and | could tell
from his heavy breathing and foam
ing mouth that he was getting to be
a pretty weary buffalo, when he sud.
denly wheeled and with head lowered
and body braced, stood ready to with
stand any onslaught.
"My horse came to a sudden stop,
but not before she had come within
a few feet of the dangerous horns Of
the bull. Before | could get her turn
ed and started back the beast charg-
ed, and with one stroke Of its horn
ripped a terrible cash in the mares
hip. The animal started to run, but
fell, and although | had disengaged
my feet from the stirrups, n of my
legs was caught under the FLY In
such a manner as to make me entire
ly helpless. II there was ever a man
any nearer the other side of Jordan
than I was then and escaped, he was
pretty lucky. The huge animal was
standing with his great shaggy head
not a yard sticks distance from my
face with his hot breath fairly scorch-
ing the skin. | shut my eyes and Just
waited. After a few seconds, which
seemed like as many minutes. ! care
fully moved my right arm around to
get hold of my revolver, but 1t was not
there. After about two minutes the
horse moved and that was a challenge
to the bull to use his horns, and he
gave the mare another hook, this time
in the breast. He raised her up 81
that I could get my imprisoned leg
disengaged and | certainly lost no
time In doing so. AS soon as | got
clear I reached around and got my re-
volver, which had slipped around 10
my left side, and while the animal
a standing with his full face In my
direction | pulled down on him and
fired. The ball struck him squarely
between the eyes, but had no impres.
sion other than to make him shake
his head. Just then my cousin, who
had seen the performance from a dis
lance, came up with his horse, an ex-
perienced COW broncho, and 1 told him
to lead away the wounded horse.
which had managed to get up and
walk a few yards to one SIDE. and let
me have his horse and gun, which
he did. I drove the buffalo about n
mile towards the house. when he re-
fused to go any farther and let him
have a bullet Just above the heart.
He dropped without a sound and be.
fore | had even cut his throat | took
my knife and secured that little tro-
ply which you see on the wall. But
the ceiling seems TO have an attrac-
ton for my hat every time | think "
the time I got It.
Charley Russell. the famous
artist was In that part OF the
country at that time and the incident
furnished him with the material for
a picture which he drew and gave to
me. II was simply a pencil sketch
and | still have II somewhere among
my possessions. He told me he In.
to make an accurate pen repre-
sentation some day. but do not know
whether or not he ever did So"