The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 1, No. 3, September, 1900Oregon Historical Society
History
The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 1, No. 3, September, 1900
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon -- History -- Periodicals
But this was not all of it, as the Pawnees soon overtook two men of the
train who were out hunting, and, quickly surrounding them, began making
sport, passing jokes, and pointing at the men and laughing to one
another; and ended by commanding the alarmed and mystified hunters to
take off their clothes, article by article, beginning with their boots.
When it came to giving up their shirts, one of the white men hesitated,
but was speedily brought to time by a smart stroke across the shoulders
by the Indian chief’s bow. When the two white men were entirely
disrobed, the Pawnees again made remarks, and then commanded them to run
for camp; but considerately threw their boots after them, saying they
did not want them. Much crestfallen, the two forlorn hunters came out of
the hills, “clipping it as fast as they could go” to the train, which
was already excited, and thought at first that this was a fresh
onslaught of the savages. The men of the train, however, were not very
sorry for the young fellows, as they were notorious boasters, and from
the first had been declaring that they would shoot, first or last, one
Indian a piece before they reached Oregon.
The animal life, as it gradually was encountered, was a source of great
interest. The gentle and fleet, but curious, antelopes were the first
game. Mr. Cosgrove had two very large and swift greyhounds, which were
able to overtake the antelopes. But the meat of these animals was not
very greatly relished, being rather dry.
The wolves were the most constant attendants of the train, appearing
daily, and howling nightly. These were the large gray wolves, much like
our forest species; also, a handsome cream-colored animal, and the black
kind, and most curious of all, the variety that was marked with a dark
stripe down the back, crossed by another over the shoulders. Then the
coyotes were innumerable, and yelped at almost every camp fire. Shooting
at the wolves, however, was nothing more than a waste of ammunition, and
these animals were at length disregarded. Even the greyhounds learned to
let them severely alone, for though at first giving chase ferociously,
they soon found a pack of fierce wolves no fun, and were chased back
even more ferociously than they started out.
The cities of the prairie dogs were interesting places, and the tiny
chirp, a yelp, of the guardian of the door, became a familiar sound. Mr.
Cosgrove recalls shooting one of these, finding it much like a chipmunk,
only of larger size.
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