Scouting with Kit CarsonTomlinson, Everett T. (Everett Titsworth)
General
Scouting with Kit Carson
Tomlinson, Everett T. (Everett Titsworth)
Carson, Kit, 1809-1868 -- Juvenile fiction
Reuben, who had followed directions and was making for the rear of the
herd, now lost sight of his companion. He had a momentary glimpse of
Jean when he was about thirty yards from the border of the herd,
dashing into its midst. He heard the loud shout of the Frenchman, “A
beau jeu beau retour!” but as he did not understand any of the words he
was ignorant of Jean’s purpose. He saw the mass give way, and a
half-dozen or more of the bulls, that were less fleet than the cows,
turned to face the approaching hunter. Several of them, however, were
thrown to the earth by the mass of maddened animals and rolled over and
over upon the ground, hardly to be distinguished from the clouds of
dust that now were settling all about them.
Aware that Jean’s plan was, if possible, to separate one animal and
pursue it until he had approached its side and then aim directly at its
heart, Reuben became so interested that for a brief time he almost
forgot the task which had been assigned him.
Recalled in a few moments, however, and aware that Jean no longer was
to be seen, he shouted to his horse to increase its speed and soon was
swiftly moving toward the rear. He saw one cow slightly separated from
the mass, and in a moment he was pursuing her as swiftly as the wolves
had followed the buffalo calf a little while before.
Steadily the young trapper gained upon his victim until at last his
horse was alongside the animal he was seeking. Partly rising in his
stirrups Reuben, when only a yard separated him from the buffalo,
fired. The animal fell headlong at the discharge of the rifle, and then
Reuben checked his horse and looked about him for his companion. Not
far away he discovered Jean tying his horse to the head of a cow, which
he was preparing to cut up.
Filled with the spirit of the chase, Reuben decided that he would try
to secure another cow. As he swiftly advanced he heard a shout from
Jean, “Le coût en ôte le goût!” Still he did not understand what was
said, and in his determination to secure another victim he did not heed
the call, and soon was engaged in the mad pursuit of the flying herd.
Whether or not it was due to the weariness of the horse he was riding,
or to the increased speed of the buffaloes, Reuben never knew, but at
all events he was compelled to continue the pursuit for a long
distance. Unaware of the passing time and unmindful of the fact that
the sun now was disappearing below the western horizon, intent solely
upon securing another buffalo, Reuben still followed in the chase. A
thick cloud of dust filled his mouth and eyes and at times nearly
smothered him. There were moments, too, when the herd was not to be
seen, so concealed was it by the cloud which the hundreds of feet had
stirred up in the desert.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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