James, though not
worth so much as the mule, was a large and strong animal.
Tete Rouge
was very proud of his new acquisition, and suddenly became ambitious
to run a buffalo with him. At his request, I lent him my pistols,
though not without great misgivings, since when Tete Rouge hunted
buffalo the pursuer was in more danger than the pursued. He hung the
holsters at his saddle bow; and now, as we passed along, a band of
bulls left their grazing in the meadow and galloped in a long file
across the trail in front.
"Now's your chance, Tete; come, let's see you kill a bull." Thus
urged, the hunter cried, "Get up!" and James, obedient to the signal,
cantered deliberately forward at an abominably uneasy gait. Tete
Rouge, as we contemplated him from behind; made a most remarkable
figure. He still wore the old buffalo coat; his blanket, which was
tied in a loose bundle behind his saddle, went jolting from one side
to the other, and a large tin canteen half full of water, which hung
from his pommel, was jerked about his leg in a manner which greatly
embarrassed him.
"Let out your horse, man; lay on your whip!" we called out to him.
The buffalo were getting farther off at every instant. James, being
ambitious to mend his pace, tugged hard at the rein, and one of his
rider's boots escaped from the stirrup.
"Woa! I say, woa!" cried Tete Rouge, in great perturbation, and
after much effort James' progress was arrested. The hunter came
trotting back to the party, disgusted with buffalo running, and he
was received with overwhelming congratulations.
"Too good a chance to lose," said Shaw, pointing to another band of
bulls on the left. We lashed our horses and galloped upon them.
Shaw killed one with each barrel of his gun. I separated another
from the herd and shot him. The small bullet of the rifled pistol,
striking too far back, did not immediately take effect, and the bull
ran on with unabated speed. Again and again I snapped the remaining
pistol at him. I primed it afresh three or four times, and each time
it missed fire, for the touch-hole was clogged up. Returning it to
the holster, I began to load the empty pistol, still galloping by the
side of the bull. By this time he was grown desperate. The foam
flew from his jaws and his tongue lolled out. Before the pistol was
loaded he sprang upon me, and followed up his attack with a furious
rush. The only alternative was to run away or be killed. I took to
flight, and the bull, bristling with fury, pursued me closely. The
pistol was soon ready, and then looking back, I saw his head five or
six yards behind my horse's tail. To fire at it would be useless,
for a bullet flattens against the adamantine skull of a buffalo bull.
Inclining my body to the left, I turned my horse in that direction as
sharply as his speed would permit. The bull, rushing blindly on with
great force and weight, did not turn so quickly. As I looked back,
his neck and shoulders were exposed to view; turning in the saddle, I
shot a bullet through them obliquely into his vitals. He gave over
the chase and soon fell to the ground. An English tourist represents
a situation like this as one of imminent danger; this is a great
mistake; the bull never pursues long, and the horse must be wretched
indeed that cannot keep out of his way for two or three minutes.
We were now come to a part of the country where we were bound in
common prudence to use every possible precaution. We mounted guard
at night, each man standing in his turn; and no one ever slept
without drawing his rifle close to his side or folding it with him in
his blanket. One morning our vigilance was stimulated by our finding
traces of a large Comanche encampment. Fortunately for us, however,
it had been abandoned nearly a week. On the next evening we found
the ashes of a recent fire, which gave us at the time some
uneasiness. At length we reached the Caches, a place of dangerous
repute; and it had a most dangerous appearance, consisting of sand-
hills everywhere broken by ravines and deep chasms. Here we found
the grave of Swan, killed at this place, probably by the Pawnees, two
or three weeks before. His remains, more than once violated by the
Indians and the wolves, were suffered at length to remain undisturbed
in their wild burial place.
For several days we met detached companies of Price's regiment.
Horses would often break loose at night from their camps. One
afternoon we picked up three of these stragglers quietly grazing
along the river. After we came to camp that evening, Jim Gurney
brought news that more of them were in sight. It was nearly dark,
and a cold, drizzling rain had set in; but we all turned out, and
after an hour's chase nine horses were caught and brought in. One of
them was equipped with saddle and bridle; pistols were hanging at the
pommel of the saddle, a carbine was slung at its side, and a blanket
rolled up behind it. In the morning, glorying in our valuable prize,
we resumed our journey, and our cavalcade presented a much more
imposing appearance than ever before. We kept on till the afternoon,
when, far behind, three horsemen appeared on the horizon. Coming on
at a hand-gallop, they soon overtook us, and claimed all the horses
as belonging to themselves and others of their company. They were of
course given up, very much to the mortification of Ellis and Jim
Gurney.
Our own horses now showed signs of fatigue, and we resolved to give
them half a day's rest. We stopped at noon at a grassy spot by the
river.
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