hunting the grisly and other sketches-第3章

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up　a　steep　bluff　or　sand　cliff。　Just　as　he　reached　the　summit；　he　was
charged；　and　was　only　saved　by　the　sudden　appearance　of　his　dog；　which
distracted　the　cow's　attention。　He　thus　escaped　with　only　a　tumble　and
a　few　bruises。

My　brother　also　came　in　for　a　charge；　while　killing　the　biggest　bull
that　was　slain　by　any　of　the　party。　He　was　out　alone；　and　saw　a　small
herd　of　cows　and　calves　at　some　distance；　with　a　huge　bull　among　them；
towering　above　them　like　a　giant。　There　was　no　break　in　the　ground；
nor　any　tree　nor　bush　near　them；　but；　by　making　a　half…circle；　my
brother　managed　to　creep　up　against　the　wind　behind　a　slight　roll　in
the　prairie　surface；　until　he　was　within　seventy…five　yards　of　the
grazing　and　unconscious　beasts。　There　were　some　cows　and　calves
between　him　and　the　bull；　and　he　had　to　wait　some　moments　before　they
shifted　position；　as　the　herd　grazed　onward　and　gave　him　a　fair　shot；
in　the　interval　they　had　moved　so　far　forward　that　he　was　in　plain
view。　His　first　bullet　struck　just　behind　the　shoulders；　the　herd
started　and　looked　around；　but　the　bull　merely　lifted　his　head　and
took　a　step　forward；　his　tail　curled　up　over　his　back。　The　next　bullet
likewise　struck　fair；　nearly　in　the　same　place；　telling　with　a　loud
〃pack！〃　against　the　thick　hide；　and　making　the　dust　fly　up　from　the
matted　hair。　Instantly　the　great　bull　wheeled　and　charged　in　headlong
anger；　while　the　herd　fled　in　the　opposite　direction。　On　the　bare
prairie；　with　no　spot　of　refuge；　it　was　useless　to　try　to　escape；　and
the　hunter；　with　reloaded　rifle；　waited　until　the　bull　was　not　far
off；　then　drew　up　his　weapon　and　fired。　Either　he　was　nervous；　or　the
bull　at　the　moment　bounded　over　some　obstacle；　for　the　bullet　went　a
little　wild；　nevertheless；　by　good　luck；　it　broke　a　fore…leg；　and　the
great　beast　came　crashing　to　the　earth；　and　was　slain　before　it　could
struggle　to　its　feet。

Two　days　after　this　even；　a　war　party　of　Comanches　swept　down　along
the　river。　They　〃jumped〃　a　neighboring　camp；　killing　one　man　and
wounding　two　more；　and　at　the　same　time　ran　off　all　but　three　of　the
horses　belonging　to　our　eight　adventurers。　With　the　remaining　three
horses　and　one　wagon　they　set　out　homeward。　The　march　was　hard　and
tedious；　they　lost　their　way　and　were　in　jeopardy　from　quicksands　and
cloudbursts；　they　suffered　from　thirst　and　cold；　their　shoes　gave　out；
and　their　feet　were　lamed　by　cactus　spines。　At　last　they　reached　Fort
Griffen　in　safety；　and　great　was　their　ravenous　rejoicing　when　they
procured　some　breadfor　during　the　final　fortnight　of　the　hunt　they
had　been　without　flour　or　vegetables　of　any　kind；　or　even　coffee；　and
had　subsisted　on　fresh　meat　〃straight。〃　Nevertheless；　it　was　a　very
healthy；　as　well　as　a　very　pleasant　and　exciting　experience；　and　I
doubt　if　any　of　those　who　took　part　in　it　will　ever　forget　their　great
buffalo…hunt　on　the　Brazos。

My　friend；　Gen。　W。　H。　Walker；　of　Virginia；　had　an　experience　in　the
early　'50's　with　buffaloes　on　the　upper　Arkansas　River；　which　gives
some　idea　of　their　enormous　numbers　at　that　time。　He　was　camped　with　a
scouting　party　on　the　banks　of　the　river；　and　had　gone　out　to　try　to
shoot　some　meat。　There　were　many　buffaloes　in　sight；　scattered；
according　to　their　custom；　in　large　bands。　When　he　was　a　mile　or　two
away　from　the　river　a　dull　roaring　sound　in　the　distance　attracted　his
attention；　and　he　saw　that　a　herd　of　buffalo　far　to　the　south；　away
from　the　river；　had　been　stampeded　and　was　running　his　way。　He　knew
that　if　he　was　caught　in　the　open　by　the　stampeded　herd　his　chance　for
life　would　be　small；　and　at　once　ran　for　the　river。　By　desperate
efforts　he　reached　the　breaks　in　the　sheer　banks　just　as　the　buffaloes
reached　them；　and　got　into　a　position　of　safety　on　the　pinnacle　of　a
little　bluff。　From　this　point　of　vantage　he　could　see　the　entire
plain。　To　the　very　verge　of　the　horizon　the　brown　masses　of　the
buffalo　bands　showed　through　the　dust　clouds；　coming　on　with　a
thunderous　roar　like　that　of　surf。　Camp　was　a　mile　away；　and　the
stampede　luckily　passed　to　one　side　of　it。　Watching　his　chance　he
finally　dodged　back　to　the　tent；　and　all　that　afternoon　watched　the
immense　masses　of　buffalo；　as　band　after　band　tore　to　the　brink　of　the
bluffs　on　one　side；　raced　down　them；　rushed　through　the　water；　up　the
bluffs　on　the　other　side；　and　again　off　over　the　plain；　churning　the
sandy；　shallow　stream　into　a　ceaseless　tumult。　When　darkness　fell
there　was　no　apparent　decrease　in　the　numbers　that　were　passing；　and
all　through　that　night　the　continuous　roar　showed　that　the　herds　were
still　threshing　across　the　river。　Towards　dawn　the　sound　at　last
ceased；　and　General　Walker　arose　somewhat　irritated；　as　he　had
reckoned　on　killing　an　ample　supply　of　meat；　and　he　supposed　that
there　would　be　now　no　bison　left　south　of　the　river。　To　his
astonishment；　when　he　strolled　up　on　the　bluffs　and　looked　over　the
plain；　it　was　still　covered　far　and　wide　with　groups　of　buffalo；
grazing　quietly。　Apparently　there　were　as　many　on　that　side　as　ever；
in　spite　of　the　many　scores　of　thousands　that　must　have　crossed　over
the　river　during　the　stampede　of　the　afternoon　and　night。　The　barren…
ground　caribou　is　the　only　American　animal　which　is　now　ever　seen　in
such　enormous　herds。

In　1862　Mr。　Clarence　King；　while　riding　along　the　overland　trail
through　western　Kansas；　passed　through　a　great　buffalo　herd；　and　was
himself　injured　in　an　encounter　with　a　bull。　The　great　herd　was　then
passing　north；　and　Mr。　King　reckoned　that　it　must　have　covered　an　area
nearly　seventy　miles　by　thirty　in　extent；　the　figures　representing　his
rough　guess；　made　after　travelling　through　the　herd　crosswise；　and
upon　knowing　how　long　it　took　to　pass　a　given　point　going　northward。
This　great　herd　of　course　was　not　a　solid　mass　of　buffaloes；　it
consisted　of　innumerable　bands　of　every　size；　dotting　the　prairie
within　the　limits　given。　Mr。　King　was　mounted　on　a　somewhat
unmanageable　horse。　On　one　occasion　in　following　a　band　he　wounded　a
large　bull；　and　became　so　wedged　in　by　the　maddened　animals　that　he
was　unable　to　avoid　the　charge　of　the　bull；　which　was　at　its　last
gasp。　Coming　straight　toward　him　it　leaped　into　the　air　and　struck　the
afterpart　of　the　saddle　full　with　its　massive　forehead。　The　horse　was
hurled　to　the　ground　with　a　broken　back；　and　King's　leg　was　likewise
broken；　while　the　bull　turned　a　complete　somerset　over　them　and　never
rose　again。

In　the　recesses　of　the　Rocky　Mountains；　from　Colorado　northward
through　Alberta；　and　in　the　depths　of　the　subarctic　forest　beyond　the
Saskatchewan；　there　have　always　been　found　small　numbers　of　the　bison；
locally　called　the　mountain　buffalo　and　wood　buffalo；　often　indeed　the
old　hunters　term　these　animals　〃bison；〃　although　they　never　speak　of
the　plains　animals　save　as　buffalo。　They　form　a　slight　variety　of　what
was　formerly　the　ordinary　plains　bison；　intergrading　with　it；　on　the
whole　they　are　darker　in　color；　with　longer；　thicker　hair；　and　in
consequence　with　the　appearance　of　being　heavier…bodied　and　shorter…
legged。　They　have　been　sometimes　spoken　of　as　forming　a　separate
species；　but；　judging　from　my　own　limited　experience；　and　from　a
comparison　of　the　many　hides　I　have　seen；　I　think　they　are　really　the
same　animal；　many　individuals　of　the　two　so…called　varieties　being
quite　indistinguishable。　In　fact；　the　only　moderate…sized　herd　of　wild
bison　in　existence　to…day；　the　protected　herd　in　the　Yellowstone　Park；
is　composed　of　animals　intermediate　in　habits　and　coat　between　the
mountain　and　plains　varietiesas　were　all　the　herds　of　the　Bighorn；
Big　Hole；　Upper　Madison；　and　Upper　Yellowstone　valleys。

However；　the　habitat　of　these　wood　and　mountain　bison　yielded　them
shelter　from　hunters　in　a　way　that　the　plains　never　could；　and　hence
they　have　always　been　harder　to　kill　in　the　one　place　than　in　the
other；　for　precisely　the　same　reasons　that　have　held　good　with　the
elk；　which　have　been　completely　exterminated　from　the　plains；　while
still　abundant　in　many　of　the　forest　fastnesses　of　the　Rockies。
Moreover；　the　bison's　dull　eyesight　is　no　special　harm　in　the　woods；
while　it　is　peculiarly　hurtful　to　the　safety　of　any　beast　on　the
plains；　where　eyesight　avails　more　than　any　other　sense；　the　true　game
of　the　plains　being　the　prong…buck；　the　most　keen…sighted　of　American
animals。　On　the　other　hand　the　bison's　hearing；　of　little　avail　on　the
plains；　is　of　much　assistance　in　the　woods；　and　its　excellent　nose
helps　equally　in　both　places。

Though　it　was　always　more　difficult　to　kill　the　bison　of　the　forests
and　the　mountains　than　the　bison　of　the　prairie；　yet　now　that　the
species　is；　in　its　wild　state；　hovering　on　the　brink　of　extinction；
the　difficulty　is　immeasurably　increased。　A　merciless　and　terrible
process　of　natural　selection；　in　which　the　agents　were　rifle…bearing
hunters；　has　left　as　the　last　survivors　in　a　hopeless　struggle　for
existence　only　the　wariest　of　the　bison　and　those　gifted　with　the
sharpest　senses。　That　this　was　true　of　the　last　lingering　individuals
that　survived　the　great　slaughter　on　the　plains　is　well　shown　by　Mr。
Hornaday　in　his　graphic　account　of　his　campaign　against　the　few
scattered　buffalo　which　still　lived　in　1886　between　the　Missouri　and
the　Yellowstone；　along　the　Big　Dry。　The　bison　of　the　plains　and　the
prairies　have　now　vanished；　and　so　few　of　their　brethren　of　the
mountains　and　the　northern　forests　are　left；　that　they　can　just　barely
be　reckoned　among　American　game；　but　whoever　is　so　fortunate　as　to
find　any　of　these　animals　must　work　his　hardest；　and　show　all　his
skill　as　a　hunter　if　he　wishes　to　get　one。

In　the　fall　of　1889　I　heard　that　a　very　few　bison　were　still　left
around　the　head　of　Wisdom　river。　Thither　I　went　and　hunted　faithfully；
there　was　plenty　of　game　of　other　kind；　but　of　bison　not　a　trace　did
we　see。　Nevertheless　a　few　days　later　that　same　year　I　came　across
these　great　wild　cattle　at　a　time　when　I　had　no　idea　of　seeing　them。

It　was；　as　nearly　as　we　could　tell；　in　Idaho；　just　south　of　the
Montana　boundary　line；　and　some　twenty…five　miles　west　of　the　line　of
Wyoming。　We　were　camped　high　among　the　mountains；　with　a　small　pack…
train。　On　the　day　in　question　we　had　gone　out　to　find　moose；　but　had
seen　no　sign　of　them；　and　had　then　begun　to　climb　over　the　higher
peaks　with　an　idea　of　getting　sheep。　The　old　hunter　who　was　with　me
was；　very　fortunately；　suffering　from　rheumatism；　and　he　therefore
carried　a　long　staff　instead　of　his　rifle；　I　say　fortunately；　for　if
he　had　carried　his　rifle　it　would　have　been　impossible　to　stop　his
firing　at　such　game　as　bison；　nor　would　he　have　spared　the　cows　and
calves。

About　the　middle　of　the　afternoon　we　crossed　a　low；　rocky　ridge；　above
timber　line；　and　saw　at　our　feet　a　basin　or　round　valley　of　singular
beauty。　Its　walls　were　formed　by　steep　mountains。　At　its　upper　end　lay
a　small　lake；　bordered　on　one　side　by　a　meadow　of　emerald　green。　The
lake's　other　side　marked　the　edge　of　the　frowning　pine　forest　which
filled　the　rest　of　the　valley；　and　hung　high　on　the　sides　of　the　gorge
which　formed　its　outlet。　Beyond　the　lake　the　ground　rose　in　a　pass
evidently　much　frequented　by　game　in　bygone　days