The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-21

tent1On of the district court.
were going toward camp. This was
very encouraging, though 1 knew I
could not get within twenty miles of
camp before night overlook me.
1 had laid out many nights before,
but there is nothing very fascinating
about sleeping on a prairie when a
person is tired, hungry and thirsty,
and to aggravate the matter, buffaloes,
horses and rain united 1t is enough
! to depress a wooden man in view of
all these things. The night was no
| exception to the rule. The lightning
began to shoot across the skies when
I went into camp. I made my bed and
| lying down, was soon asleep. I was
awakened about II o'clock by a clear
laundering noise. My first thought
was that it was thunder, but 1t was too
prolonged for that, and the noise be-
came more distinct. 1 then realized
that 1t was a stampede. Real thunder
is bad enough, but a stampede is hor-
| rible. I was not fond of it, and still
the noise of the shuffling feet came
nearer and nearer. I did not know
| could see them, the herd was within
hundred yards of me. 1 pulled my
Dig saddle over my head to protect my
self as much as possible.
Stampede Wild.
On the buffaloes came, nearer and
nearer. laundering, putting and blow
ing. There Were four hundred roar
ing wanderers of the plains. They got
within fifty feet of me. Then the
leaders whirled to the right and made
a half circle around where I was.
Then. taking up their same course.
make the circuit, but continued
straight ahead and passed directly
over me. I held on to my saddle for
dear life and saved myself from be-
ing mashed to mince meat.
My first thought, as the herd dis
appeared in the distance, was of my.
horse. She was in the path of the
stampede and had been pitched to the
closed around her. to save her own
life, she ran with the buffalo. By the
light of the lightning 1 could see her
moving. I jumped up, shouting
Whoa, Kate; whoai Whoa, Kate:
whoa! Whoa, Kate; whoa"' At last
she turned her head to see if I were a
buffalo. 1 was not, but I was con-
siderably buffaloed. I must confess
did not overtake her until she had
gotten several hundred yards away.
To say the least, was mighty glad to
get back to bed. 1t was quite cold and
rainy. Never once did think but that
1 could go straight back. I never had
gone the required distance without
good yet, to say the least. 1 knew
enough to stake my horse so I would
not too far away from my bed.
Then I began to make small circles
at first around my horse to find my
bed. How many times 1 went around,
1 cannot say, except I was up pretty
near all night.
Bed Is Located.
was getting desperate along about
daylight when I stumbled upon my
precious bed. I never saw anything
look so pretty and homelike in all
my life. AS luck would have it, we
had gotten one of those storms char
acteristic of Western Kansas-one
without rain. In the morning I took
up the trail with my horse. although
I was sore from the bruises made by
the buffalo. I was so sore I could
hardly ride. The solution of catching
wild horses is more in tanning them than
in running them. 1 was busy during
middle of the afternoon I was able
to turn them and drive them towards
camp.
I was worn out and most anxious to
reach camp that night. 1 had nothing
to guide me toward the place we
called camp, but I pushed ahead as
fast as I counld drive the horses with
out exciting them. I knew 1 could
Camp Is Sighted.
The sun had just gone down when
I beheld dirt mound on high ridge.
into the camp and never in my life
have 1 seen anything more beautiful.
Eds legs seemed to be perfectly
straight and his big cheek bones per-
to be made to order for the event
and a fine supper we had. I never
tasted anything so good in my life.
The scenery of the Rocky mountains
is beautiful, but looking through the
deep ravines and toward the high
mountains on an empty stomach I
did not relish, but those pancakes
soon put me straight again. 1 was
generally repaired in the morning, and
was able to go out and tend to the
horses. We rode that day and the
following night and the next day
without any sleep. The next morning
we started home. During the time 1
was after the horses, a beautiful stall
lion fell in with my saddle horse. Ed
was anxious to take him in for his
best girl to ride. I told him our only
| chance would be for him to leave our
| wagon and lead the saddle horses and
| erything worked out as I had planned
for three or four days, when one ev-
| ening just at sunset I heard the re-
| port of a gun.
Ed Is Shot.
| The horses stampeded, and off went
the sorrel as far as I could see. At
| ter getting the horses rounded UP I
| looked to see what Ed had shot at,
oily to see him fall from his horse.
1 said: ED, what is the matter ?"
And he said: whats the matter :?
Where is my sorrel? I am shot"
! We halted and camped where we
were that night and he suffered awful
agony, but never groan escaped his
| lips In the morning 1 insisted upon
| taking him into Kendall and giving
up the horses, but he said: mo; I'll
| take these horses" 1 tied him on
extra gentle Kate so he would not
| fall off, and We rode on. He said
| he was so exhausted he fell asleep
on the way, but his horse took him in
| doI ho cta1zad in