Buffalo Land: Authentic Account of the Discoveries, Adventures, and Mishaps of a Scientific and Sporting Party in the Wild WestWebb, W. E. (William Edward)
History
Buffalo Land: Authentic Account of the Discoveries, Adventures, and Mishaps of a Scientific and Sporting Party in the Wild West
Webb, W. E. (William Edward)
Hunting -- West (U.S.); Paleontology -- Kansas; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
Wa-bog-aha big was a brave--
The Great Spirit salted him down:
Braves seldom get corned in the grave,
They 're oftener corned in the town.
My rhyming, you find, is saline,
Quite brackish its toning and end;
The moral--far better to pine
Than wed and get "salted," my friend.
Soon after sunrise we took our way down the river, intending to reach
the Sydney farm on the following day, and there spend the necessary time
in preparing our specimens for immediate shipment when we should arrive
at Solomon City. The Professor made desperate efforts to appear entirely
wrapped up in science, and his devotion to geology was something
wonderful. Hitherto he had been inclined to urge us forward, but now he
made a show of holding us back. Did he do so with a knowledge that our
necessities for food and forage would be sufficient spur, and was he
simply shielding his weak side from Sachem's attacks?
We had proceeded but a few miles on our journey, when the guide rode
back, and reported fresh pony tracks across the road ahead of us. This
was an unquestionable Indian sign, but as the trail seemed to be leading
north, we took no precaution; our route was over a high divide, where
ambushing was impossible.
Approaching Limestone Creek, the road wound down the face of a
precipitous bluff, into the valley below. We had just commenced the
descent, when the now familiar cry of "Injuns!" came back from the men
in front, and following closely on the cry we heard the echoing report
of firearms. We looked in the direction of the sound, and saw close to
the trees an emigrant wagon, while beyond it, but at fully one hundred
yards' distance, four or five Indians were riding back and forth in
semi-circles, and firing pistols. The emigrant stood beside his oxen,
with rifle in readiness, but apparently reserving his fire.
"That man knows his biz!" exclaimed our guide, as he urged the teams
forward, that we might afford rescue. "Injuns never bump up agin a
loaded gun."
A gleam of calico was visible in the wagon, and another rifle barrel,
held by female hands, seemed peering out in front. The general aspect of
the assailed outfit reminded us strongly of the Sydney family, and
suspicion was strengthened by a very unscientific yell from the
Professor, as he started off at break-neck speed down the bluff for a
rescue, with no other weapon whatever in his hand than a small hammer he
had just been using for breaking stones. Mr. Colon seemed equally
demented, following close upon Paleozoic's heels with a bug-net. Shamus,
at the moment, happened to be astride his donkey, and giving an Irish
war-whoop which reached even to the scene of combat, straightway charged
over the limestone ledges in a cloud of white dust. Our appearance upon
the scene was a surprise to Lo. The Indians stood not upon the order of
their going, but "lit out on the double-quick," as our guide expressed
it, and were soon out of sight.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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