The Columbus journal., 1909-11-24
ROMANCE OF THE WESTERN PLAINS

/ 1UMAuUh UT I'LL
It was in june, 1860, that Benton
Murdoch and his brother, the late NJ.
NJ. Murdoch of the Wichita Eagle,
started toward Pixies Peak with .
load Of provisions and building and
mining materials. That Was the year
Of the great drought, and the two boys
made the trip in OK teams to try to
recoup their fortunes. They intended
to stay through the winter in Colorado,
looking for gold.
They visited the gold mines, Cali
fornia Gulcb, where Leadville now
stands, and it was decided that Mar.
shall Murdoch should stay during the
winter and that Bent should return to
bis Kansas home. OF this trip Bent
Murdoch wrote years ago. II is q
story of intense human interest and
sounds best a. told in the words Of the
principal, Thomas Benton Murdoch,
written in the third person, as pub
lished in his own paper, the Eldorado
Republican:
=
"Benton hitched up his oxen, which
were now in fine condition for his zoe
mile journey alone to his Southern
Kansas home. It was . long, lone
some trip for q boy to take through
that Wild frontier country.
"On the third morning, while yok'
ing up his oxen preparatory to contin
uing his journey, q brown.eyed curly
headed boy of about Is years rode ul
on q split-eared Comanche Indial
pony and modestly but earnestly re
quested to be taken to the Missouri
river. The handsome youth said hi
name was Len Ridgeway.' Benton
told Len to put his pack in the wagon
tie Comanche to the tailrod ant
Jump in.
"The first part of the journey wa
uneventfnl. There were other Pike
Peakers returning home. Game wa
abundant. Len was an excellen
cook. The weather was fine and from
twenty to thirty miles was counted
days travel.
"These two boys became quit
chummy. Benton, who was a broa'
shouldered, stalwart youth, willingl.
assumed oil the rough work Of tn
camp and trail, while Len was resolut
in performing the lighter duties
Whatever encouragement confronte'
these two companions, Len was tn
first to explain tina: while things wer
a little tough, everything would be al
right tomorrow. And Benton ha,
said from the first day that Len wa
fully worth his keep in the artistic
preparation of meals, not counting tb
snatches of poetry and song, the storie
Of home that nightly sent these com
rades to dreamless sleep on the bosom
| of Mother Earth.
! "About 2 o'clock of the second do
the boys came up to q trenendou
herd of buffaloes tibet we're on thei
way south. Crossing the wide bottom
like a huge ocean wave they plunget
into the river, returning to the alkal
sands, grunting, believing and wal
lowing therein, filling the air with
suf8ocating dust, creating q turmoil
which to those boys was frightfal Il
behold.
"While one boy guarded the team
the other mounted Comanche an(
charged the buffalo in front to driv,
them from the trail. But slow pre-
gress was made and night was coming
on while the situation every moment
became more precarious. In making
q very successful charge upon thi'
solid mass Len with an 8.inch Colt
revolver fired into its midst, no doubt
hitting an old bull, which Immediately
turned and charged the pony. Com
anche was an expert and having beer
duly educated by his former owners in
the business, ordinarily would have
avoided the rush of the bull, bu,
unfortunately his foot went into Z
prairie dog hole, throwing his rider
with great force over his head.
Benton, who with one hand wal
holding the horns of the near wheeler
to keep the team in check, his gun in
the other, instantly put ball into thu
infariated bull, knocking him to hi