The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-06
HOW THEY SPLIT
BUFFALO STAMPEDE
Enormous Herd Charged on
Wagon Train and Shooting
Averted Calamity.

WASHINGTON, D. c., March s.
William A. Richards, commissioner of
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 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 half a 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 herd of buffalo.
We 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, there
fore, promptly called halt. gave or
ders that the two wagons be brought
up close together, one behind the 9TH
er, and directed that the mules be I'M
hitcheG, placed behind the wagons on
the side opposite that from which the
buffalo were coming, and securely fas-
tened 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, form a line, go out to
meet the buffalo and try to split them,
and keep them divided until they
passed the wagons.
Half a Mile of Buffalo.
1.-THE Spencer carbines with which
we were armed shot a fifty caliber
bullet with a charge of powder much
too light for that weight of load and
that kind OF game. We went back
some 300 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 a mile long on
the front and extending at least that
far back. The animals were coming
toward us at what was only q 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.
] recall distinctly that when / fired
my first shot, the front of the line be-
ing about 200 yards from us, thought
] had struck a. horn, but when I had
fired several shots and heard them all
strike knew I was hitting something
besides horns. I thought noise might
be of benefit at this time, so, having
good lungs, exerted them to the ut
most, joined at once by the rest of the
firing party. And my theory worked
out all right.
The Herd Divides.
'"The noise of our guns and of our
voices, with what execution our bull
lets were doing, caused the herd to di-
vide and pass to each side of us. But
we soon found ourselves in a preca-
rious situation. When the herd first
split, the buffalo could see as well as
hear us, and they veered off either
way, but those that were following
created such noise themselves and
raised such cloud of dust that they
could hardly see or hear us, and soon
began to crowd in on us in way that
was exceedingly disquieting.
1.-The animals were being forced
backward and in upon each other to
such an extent that it became doubtful
whether we were going to succeed In
our effort. If we should fail 1t meant
that we should be trampled under foot
and the entire party as well as the
outfit wiped off the face of the earth
We had been forced into q solid line
and were splitting the herd. because
we could not be doubled up or give
way on either side. We had been 60
ing back foot by foot, had few cart
ridges left, and 1t was becoming evil
dent that we could not hold out much
longer. when our backs came In con.
tact with the wagon, and almost al
the same instant we saw daylight
ahead of us, and there was the end Of
the herd.
''The most remarkable thing abou
the whole affair was that when tn,
herd had passed and the dust had set.
tied there were only two dead buffaloe.
lying upon the plains. while more thar
800 shots had been fired"