Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-08

err to get as they ran a little faster and
were usually in the lead of the herd.
NV mare kitty was a dandy for this
particular purpose for If the ground was
good. say level, or a gentle up grade, /
would run right through the herd to
the point, single out O dry COW, then
crowd up. A buffalo always runs quar-
tering when crowded so they can keep
an eye on thei pursuers as the low build
of their head and the shaggy hair
around the eyes hampers their sight. Be-
lieve me, they went some, but kitty
knew her business. A quick squirt would
put her within 20 or 80 feet of the VIC
tim. Then one, two or three quick shots
fired from q carbine Winchester into the
short ribs, ranging forward. When the
blood foamed from the nostrils, kitty
knew it was all that was required. We
Just refined up or took after another, pro-
viding kitty was not winded. In a few
hundred yards the wounded buffalo
would stop, stand for a few minutes,
then reel over and collapse. Bleeding at
the nose indicated q lung shot and that
the bullet had perforated the vital part
in the region Of the heart. This was
what we termed "a rum" and seldom re-
suited in the killing of more than one
Vi LWO NllOlCE DdlldiO 90 blAC AAOloSo WO0At
become winded. The most destructive
method of killing the buffalo was by
getting q stand" which l will describe.
To accomplish a stand" required
skillful and experienced hunters. In the
fall OF 1882, l assembled a hill on Salt
creek and discovered an undisturbed
bunch Of about so buffalo in a long
draw, most of them lying down. The
first thing necessary is to get the wind
n by unseen "detouring' to approch
them with the wind from the buffalo to
you. The reverse would give them scent
of you or your horse.
Buffalo Has Keen Nose
The olfactory sense of the buffalo was
of the keenest and they could scent you
for n distance Of a mile or W n were
away at once. l took all precautions, got
within three or four hundred yards,
threw the reins over the horses head and
approached on DOT to about $50 yards
to a low sandstone projection on the top
of a little ridge. BY placing my "73" Win
chester on the reef it was just high
enough for deliberate shooting. I spot
ted the leading COW in the bunch, sun
ming herself. A we'll placed shot, low
down and just behind the shoulders
proved a mortal wound. She jumped uI
and turned around, the rest jumped uI
and punched. and then l sent shot after
shot into any that attempted to strike
out.
Buffalo thus surprised and smelling the
blood Of the killed and wounded will
mill and I deliberately emptied the II
shots in the magazine of my Winchester
I always carried a cartridge belt con
tanning 40 cartridges. l quickly shot al
of these and still there were a lot O.
buffalo left. But being out Of ammuni'
ton I walked back to Grey Dick" wht
knew well what was going on, and rode
him back to the surround" The re
naming buffalo struck out slowly leaving
16 dead in a space of less than an acre
I here and now plead guilty to a wan
ton and ruthless slaughter of these nobl'
animals. Little did l think at the TIM
how soon would be the end of these non
archs of the plains. But reviewing 1t
can see that the passing of the buffal,
did more to subdue the Indian than al
the troops employed by the government
in the west. 1t was decreed that the In
dian and the buffalo would give way t.
the superior white race and domesti
animals.
To return to my story, I rod back t.
the ranch, got my partner, John Brook
and three men, a wagon and a skinnin
outfit, and for the rest of the day IN
into the night, we skinned the buffalo
took out the tongues, the choicest part
of the animal, as well as the humps
n some Of the hind quarters of tn