Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-02-10


HomeseekerS.
William A. Richards, commissioner
CT the land Office, spent many Of his
early days on the great plains of the
west, and always has at hand a fund
OF good stories ready to tap when
called upon. This is one of them:
"A party of fourteen of us were go
ing south from Fort Kearney, Neb..
on foot with two mule teams to haul
our camp equipment and supplies
related Mr.. Richards. Zone afternoon
we were making our way leisurely
along a ridge, when we suddenly de-
serted on 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 were 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 wag-
ons 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 were coming.
and securely fastened to the wheels.
Then one man was detailed to each
mule to keep it as quiet as possible.
while ten of us were instructed to fill
our pockets with cartridges, for a
line, go out to meet the buffalo and
try to split them and keep them di-
vided until they passed the wagons.
''The Spencer carbines with which
We were armed shot so caliber bull
let with charge of powder much too
light for that weight of load and that
kind of game. We went back some
800 yards from the wagons and
opened fire. The rear end of the herd
had not yet come up over the opposite
ridge, so that we were confronted by
mass Of buffalo half mile long on
the front and extending at least that
tar back. The animals were coming
toward us at what was only a fast
walk until we opened fire, and then
broke into gallop. To stop them was
out OF the question, for those in front
were urged forward by those behind.
II recall distinctly that when 1 fired
my first shot, the front of the line
being about two hundred yards from
us. thought had struck horn but
wnen l had fired several shots and
heard them all strike I knew | was
hitting something besides horns. 1
thought noise might be of benefit at
this time, so having good lungs 1 ex-
erted 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 bull
lets were doing, caused the herd to
divide and pass to each side of us. But
we soon found ourselves in a precari-
Gus situation. When the herd was
first split, the buffalo could see as
we'll as hear us, and they veered off
either way, but those that were fol-
lowing created such a noise them
selves 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 that was exceedingly disquiet-
ing.
"The animals were being forced
backward and in and upon each. other
to such an extent that it became
doubtful whether we were going to
succeed in our effort If we should
fall it meant that we would be tram
pied under foot and the entire party
as well as the outfit wiped off the face
Of the earth. We had been forced
into 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 remarkable thing about
the whole affair was that when the
herd had passed and the dust had
settled there were only two dead buff
falo lying upon the plains, while more
than three hundred shots had been
fred