The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1907-07-11

SHOT HIS OWN HORSE
A Tale Of a Military Buffalo
Hunt.


Johnny Come Lately-that's what
we dubbed him. He certainly was
splendidly constructed; about six feet
tall, very fair-complexioned, and with
al as handsome as a picture, with an
easy boyish move and a merry twinkle
in his eye which it was hard for
Johnny to hide eve when he tried
to look severe, for he was military,
was Johnny. All West Pointers are,
when they first join their regiment,
Lieut.. Biddle (our Johnny being no
exception to the rule, and when ne
Joined our troop K, Seventh United
States cavalry, at Fort Lincoln, d. T.,
in September, 1876, the above sobri-
quet was handed out to him and 1t
stuck. He would do the funniest
things, so we thought, but it was all
strictly military; he didn't seem to
realize at first that he had struck a
regiment of real troopers and that we
we're there to protect the frontier, not
look pretty. These nice little military
points when Lieut.. Biddle was on duty
went against the grain, but he was a
man, every inch of his six feet, and
square; no favorites, only just a lit
tie too military at first. But that wore
off in time.
After a hard campaign the follow
ing summer of TT the seventh, about
the first of September, struck the
Tongue river cantonment on the yell
lowstone,s and had only one little
brush with the Indians, about 600
soldiers to "a Indians. They tried to
escape, but we captured them all ex-
cept four and they went to the happy
hunting grounds. Now Johnny was
all fire, didn't say much, but wanted
to fight. After we corralled the Chey-
ennes we turned them over to Gen.
Miles at Cedar Creek on the Yellow
stone. This was in June, and john
n V certainly looked disappointed when
he didn't even get a go at the In
dams. Our troop that day was rear
guard. A few days later We struck
a herd of buffalo, probably 5000, scat
tered over about ten miles or more OF
territory. Two men were detailed out
of each of five companies to make a
killing. All the officers knew Lient.
Biddle's desire for adventure and he
was put in charge of the ten men. He
rode a c~rackerjack of a horse; his
eyes shone like diamonds, and before
we struck the first few old bulls he
called me to- him and said, Slime,
you've been raised in this country,
haven't your"
Eyes, sir, l said.'
"Know all about killing buffaloes?"
Some little" I replied.
"Now. | don't want to go wrong
on this hunt" said the lieutenant,
"hnd | don't want any mishap, 0 do
| want the command to have the laugh
on me. Now, I'm ordered not to kill
over rs, but there you see they are
stampeding already"
Just what you want" said. Hold
your bride with the left hand and
carbine in the right; dash into the
herd and keep going with 'em; don't
stop; pay no attention to your right
hand side, they will keep away from
YOU. Now pick the cow-always pick
a young cow, they can run faster and
it takes a good horse to outrun them.
Ride up on the right hand side, lean
over a little toward the buffalo, throw
YOUR carbine in the hollow of your
left arm and blaze away. But, Lieu
tenant. don't shoot too quick; wait I'm
til your saddle is just opposite the
brute's hump, for the minute you hit
one if it don't go down they'll turn
quicker'n creased lightning and catch
your horse in the flank as he goes by.
Now don't stop, whatever you do; just
keep going with the herd and when
YOU think you have killed enough,
pull out to one side, If you get an
opening, understand"
Eyes, / guess so,' said Biddle. Now
let's at them"
Well. the Lieutenant watched me
shoot my first COW buffalo and, sure
enough, she didn't go down. AS said,
| she turned the second she was hit, but
nv horse had passed her and on we
went. Bluul0 WdS llulu6 I'll LILY AA6ut
about ten yards away, and looking at
| me, smiled and nodded, then dashed
| ahead on his own account. His horse
certainly was a hummer. Besides be-
ing scared he could go some, and in
a few minutes he was somewhere in
the herd, | suppore; away ahead of me.
the herd, / suppose; away behind of nj
ridden about four miles with them, my
horse being almost out.
So / thought I'd try to catch a young
/ buffalo inst ahead of me, and if | got
him I'd QUIT. It had been a hard run
and the buffalo, as well as my horse,
was pretty well blown, but | was
gaining on him very fast He was only
ten yards ahead and / was ready to
drop him. didn't have time to look
about me, but. bang went q six.
shooter Just ahead OF me.