The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-03-22
PER|IsOF
THE PLAINS
Commissioner Richards
Tells of Half Hour
Filled With Terror.

William A. Richards. commissioner o
the land Office. spent many of his early
days on the great plains of the West
and always has at hand fund of good
stories ready to tap when called upon
This is one of them:
| "A party of fourteen of us We're going
south from Fort Kearney, Neb., on foot
| equipment and supplies" began Mr.
Richards. One afternoon we were
making our way leisurely along a
! ridge, when we suddenly deserted or
the summit of another ridge a huge
| black line at least a half mile in length.
Those of US who had not been on the
plains before could not make out what
this line was, but we We're informed by
the chief of our party that it was a
| herd of buffalo
I'VE could see plainly enough that
with our heavily loaded teams we could
not get beyond the line before the herd
would be upon US. Our chief therefore
! promptly called a halt, gave orders that
| the two wagons be brought up close
| together, one behind the other, and
| directed that the mules be unhitched,
placed behind the wagons on the side
opposite that from which the buffalo
We're coming and securely fastened TO
the wheels. Then one man was detail
ed to each mule to keep it as quiet as
possible, while ten of US were in
structed to fill our pockets with
cartridges. form a line, go out to meet
the buffalo and try to split them and
the wagons.
A TICKLISH POSITION.
I'VE went back some 300 yards from
the wagons and opened fire. The rear
end of the herd had not yet come uD
over the opposite ridge, so that we were
confronted by mass of buffalo half a
mile long on the front and extending at
least that far back. The animals We're
coming toward us at what was only a
fast walk until we opened fire, and then
broke into a gallop. To stop them was
out of the question, for those in front
were urged forward by those behind.
Il recall distinctly that when l fired
my first shot, the front of the line being
about 200 yards from US, thought L
had struck a horn, but when l had fired
several shots and heard them all strike
l knew l was hitting something besides
horns. / thought noise might be of
benefit at this time, so having good
lungs 1 exerted them to the utmost,
joined at once by the rest of the firing
party. And my theory worked out all
right. The noise of our guns and of
our voices, with what execution our
bullets We're doing, caused the herd to
divide and pass to each side of us.
But we soon found ourselves in a pre-
e,:T, he I,nr1 c
first split the buffalo could see as we'll
as hear us. and they veered off either
way, but those that We're following
created such noise themselves and
raised such a cloud of dust that they
could hardly see or hear US, and soon
began TO crowd in on us in a way eX-
ceedingly disquieting.
ONLY TWO KILLED.
s.The animals We're being forced back
ward and in and upon each other to
such an extent that it became doubtful
whether we We're going to succeed in
our effort. If we should fail it meant
that we would be trampled under foot
and the entire party as we'll as the out
fit wiped off the face of the earth. We
had been forced into a solid line and
were splitting the herd, because we
would not be doubled up or give way on
either side. We had been going back
foot by foot, had few cartridges left
and it was becoming evident that we
could not hold out much longer, when
our backs came in contact with the
wagon, and almost at the same instant
we saw daylight ahead of US, and there
was the end of the herd. The most re-
markable thing about the whole affair
was that when the herd had passed and
the dust had settled there were only
two dead buffalo lying upon the
plains, while more than 300 shots had
been fired.
Having a small supply of water in
our wagons, we camped at the place
where the fight had taken place, but
got little slep. as the herd stopped with
in a short distance of us. On account
of the wounded buffalo and smell of
fresh blood, they We're in a state of
turmoil all night, while the wolves
both coyotes and the large gray AMI
up an incessant bowling all
night long. We moved on the next
in good order with plenty of
buffalo meat, the first we had obtained !
upon the trip.
THE buffalo is, under ordinary cir
continued Mr.. Richards, |
"a dociIe animal neither aggressive nor |
Out ndu SOiIle SAA'SiiSi4OC
with the animals which went to show |
that when aggravated they are dam |
gerous. 1 found that ordinarily buff
falo, like any other wild animal with /
which 1 have had experience, will run |
from a hunter when given an opportu- /
nifty, and that when wounded it will |
not ordinarily charge a man from a |
greater distance than about fifty yards.
a FIGHTING BUFFALO.
ION one occasion met one which was
IN exception TO this rule, however. 1
vas hunting on foot with n Henry rifle.
Buffalo were not plentiful in the local
ty, but 1 finally sighted an old bull
wing down on the plains. Hunting on
DOT, I needed meat badly, and could
lot afford to let this old fellow get
away 1 worked around directly be-
ind him RuffaInaS az. not MarN Mhen