The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1908-05-02
Ny Adventure with
Horse Thieves
By Buffalo Bill.
My adventure with hrose htieyes

worst sort of white men that then IN
tested the frontier. These were horse
thieves And horse stealing tho e
days was a crime that came close to
ranking with cold-blooded murder
wanted a big grizzly bear skin;
! or, rather, one of my sisters wanted
It for rug. | had promised. as
| soon as | had time to get her one,
| For, even In those times big. griz-
! Fly could not be shot in ones door
| yard. Ii meant a long trip through
the hills ana more than little dam
! ger.
A light snow had fallen and
started on horseback for the hills be-
/ yond Horseshoe Valley. | ran across
| plenty of antelope tracks, but not a
| trace did | get of bear until after
/ o'clock that afternoon. Then came
| upon the trail of one. 1t looked as
! If giant had been walking through
the snow on all fours. My horse
! snorted and fidgetei. From that |
knew Bruin was not far off. | was
about to dismount WIN my horse
| plunged violently. There, not eighty
feet away, stood a grizzly.
AS | looked. he reared himself on
his hind legs. He seeemd to stand
as high as a mountain. 1t is unus-
ual for a bear TO turn on his pur-
suers at that distance. / suppose
something had happened to make
him angry. For there he was. He
had evidently just come out of the
bushes.
aimed as we'll as could. and by
good luck | planted the first shot in
the right place. Down came the
bear. Before going closer | sent in
two more bullets. For a still bear
isn't alays a dead bear Then
skinned Bruin and strapped his pelt
on my excited horses back Just be-
hind the saddle.
l started back but the going was
bad. By sunset ! saw / couldn't
hope TO get back to camp that night.
So | looked about for good shell
tered spot TO camp Just then my
horse whinnied. His call was an
swered from a hollow just beyond
the creek-bed along which was rid
ing. l dismounted, fastened him
and, rife in hand. went on to in
vestlgate.
There. hidden In a little gulch
were about twenty horses. They
weren't guarded. Looking around
4v . h. \ 7 Il
about hundred yards up the hill.
Its windows showed lights. ! clam
bered up to ask nights lodging.
supposed a party of horse-traders or
some such people had put up there.
l knocked at the rickety plank !
door. The voices l had heard as |
climbed the slope, were hushed all |
ct once. Then | heard half dozen 1
sharp clicks. That meant the cock |
ing of rifles or revolvers. | began TO |
wonder what company had STUN
bled into. Before l could move back
some one called:
Who's that?"
The door swung open. There,
grouped around a fire, were ten of
the ugliest looking blackguards I'd
ask to find in years journey. At a
glimpse l recognized one of them az
a noted horse thief that had broken
Jail a year before. Then knew
what was up against.
"All alone?" asked one of the
men.
Yes" said. i've left my horse
below. I'll go back and get him now
that know that you're not Indians
Two of the men jumped up and
to go with me. This
was the very last thing wanted. But
It wouldn't do to refuse or seem 10
suspect anything. Another took my
rife from me, on the plea that ii
would be in the way during the
climb. Luckily no one seemed TO
notice my revolver. 1t was hidden
by the blanket that ! had thrown
over my shoulder.
Then down the slope | plodded,
1ne OF the men on each side of me.
There was no help for ii. 1t was a
Ease where a man must rely on his
wits. The force was all on their
side, all | could do was to wait my
nance.
They led me past their bunch OF
stolen horses and on to where my
'wn pony was hobbled Then one
" the two took the bride and We
tarted back. unfastened the bear Z
kin with the excuse that its smell '
night stampede their horses. and l
ugged 1t along with me. The man {
With my pony went first. / trudged {
fer him with my bearskin. The
econd man. rifle In hand. brought up
he rear.
/ stumbled The bearskin spread
ut as | awkwardly tried to recover .
lyself. The skins damp folds flap
ed down on the man with the rifle,
overins his head and shoulders. |
rev my pistol and fired twice. One .
hot dropped the man who was lead. :
1g my pony. The other pierced the
earskIn and the man under il sud
emily stopped trying TO tear II of
is head and collapsed in heap But
efore he touched ground was IN :
he saddle and sending my tired pony /.
own the ravine as hard as quirt and I.
1